USU PR—The Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), organized the 8th International Conference on Electrical, Telecommunication, and Computer Engineering (ELTICOM) 2024. This event, which was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), took place at the USU DLCB Building on Thursday (11/21/2024) as part of the USU Faculty of Engineering's 65th Anniversary celebration.

With the theme “Tech-driven Innovations for Global Organizational Resilience,” ELTICOM 2024 invited the attention of academics, students, and industry practitioners from more than 10 countries. This theme is designed to address the challenges of the digital age, where technology plays a critical role in maintaining operational stability, efficiency, and an organization's ability to adapt amid economic and social change.

USU Vice Rector IV, Prof. Dr. Drs. Opim Salim Sitompul M.Sc, in his speech, emphasized the relevance of this conference theme to the needs of the times. According to him, technology-based innovation not only helps organizations survive crisis situations, but is also key to driving long-term sustainability.

“The cross-sector collaboration that takes place in this conference is very important to create real solutions to various global challenges. It is hoped that participants can take advantage of this conference to broaden their horizons establish international networks,” said Prof. Opim.

The conference featured four keynote speakers from various countries who are experts in the fields of Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and smart energy. They are Nur Nabila binti Muhamed, Ph.D. from Mara University of Technology, Malaysia; Prof. Trio Adiono, ST, MT, Ph.D. from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB); Dr. Rahmad Fauzi, ST, MT from USU; and Prof. Dr. Issarachai Ngamroo from King Mongkut Institute of Technology, Thailand.

The committee chairman, Ir. Tigor Hamonangan Nasution ST, MT, IPM, said that this year, ELTICOM had received 138 scientific papers from various countries. After going through a rigorous selection process, 65 papers were presented in parallel sessions, both online via Zoom and offline on the USU campus.

“This event not only serves as an academic forum but also a bridge to expand international collaboration. The participants came from industry practitioners from various countries, such as the United States and the Philippines,” explained Ir. Tigor.

In line with that, Prof. Trio Adiono, ST, MT, Ph.D. asserted that organizational resilience is not only about surviving the crisis, but also the ability to innovate and create significant added value. According to him, Indonesia must strengthen its science-based industry to be able to compete at the global level.

“AI brings great challenges, especially in high computing needs. However, with innovative chip design, we can make AI more efficient and applicable to face global challenges,” he said.