IEEE Brazil Council Student Branches and Young Professionals National Meeting
The IEEE Brazil Council Student Branches and Young Professionals National Meeting, composed of the Reunião Nacional de Ramos Estudantis (RNR) and the Reunião Nacional de Young Professionals (RNYP), took place from June 4 to 6, 2026, in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The event was hosted at the Rebouças Campus of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR).
The meeting is the premier annual student and young professional event of the IEEE Brazil Council. Hosted each year in a different city across the country, it serves as the main gathering point for students, Young Professionals (YP), volunteer leaders, and representatives from IEEE Sections throughout Brazil. Its main goals are to promote networking, leadership development, technical engagement, and the exchange of best practices among Student Branches and affinity groups.
The 2026 edition brought together representatives and volunteer leaders from all five Brazilian IEEE Sections: IEEE Northeast Brazil Section, IEEE Centro-Norte Brazil Section, IEEE Minas Gerais Section, IEEE Rio de Janeiro Section, and IEEE South Brazil Section.
The official program featured an intensive and diversified schedule, including technical lectures, hands-on workshops, competitions, leadership alignment meetings, networking sessions, and the IEEE Brazil Council Awards ceremony, which recognized outstanding projects and initiatives developed by volunteers throughout the year.
The Presence and Impact of the IEEE IES at the Event
The IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) established a strategic presence at the meeting, focusing on membership development, Student Branch Chapter expansion, technical dissemination, academic engagement, and industry engagement in Brazil.
The IES agenda was organized around four main fronts: the second edition of the IES Student Branch Chapters Meeting within the IEEE Brazil Council, participation in the Student Branch Fair, an IES Ignite Session for the general audience, and support for the SparkIEEE Challenge.
The main focus was structured as follows:
Exclusive Space at the Student Branch Fair: The society managed its own dedicated booth during the fair. This space facilitated direct dialogue with students and volunteer leaders, where IES representatives distributed promotional materials and presented the tangible benefits of acquiring both student and professional IES memberships.
Connection with Leadership from All Five Brazilian Sections: The society hosted a dedicated meeting with Student Branch leaders from all five Brazilian IEEE Sections. This session provided an ideal platform to present the IES technical fields of interest and detail global support programs, such as the Student Ambassadors Program and financial grants aimed at the creation and maintenance of Student Branch Chapters.
Dissemination to the General Audience: The IES also took the main stage through a brief and high-impact Ignite Session, ensuring that the broader event audience became familiar with the society’s ecosystem, technical areas, membership opportunities, and support mechanisms.
Industry and Academia Engagement: Through the SparkIEEE Challenge and direct interaction with companies, the event created opportunities to connect the IES community with real industry challenges, innovation initiatives, and future collaboration channels. Also, we have a Workshop to discuss and present how to build an academic and research-oriented career.
IES Student Branch Chapters Meeting
On June 5, the IES promoted the second edition of the IES Student Branch Chapters Meeting within the IEEE Brazil Council. The activity brought together representatives and volunteer leaders from all five Brazilian IEEE Sections: IEEE Northeast Brazil Section, IEEE Centro-Norte Brazil Section, IEEE Minas Gerais Section, IEEE Rio de Janeiro Section, and IEEE South Brazil Section.
The session was designed to strengthen the connection between IES students, Student Branch leaders, and chapter representatives. A total of five IES Student Branch Chapters were involved, with 32 participants taking part in the activity. The meeting created a dedicated space to discuss IES initiatives, volunteer engagement, chapter development, technical activities, and strategies to expand the society’s presence in Brazil.
It also provided an ideal platform to present the IES technical fields of interest, global support programs, the Student Ambassadors Program, and financial grants aimed at the creation and maintenance of Student Branch Chapters.
The meeting was structured as follows:
- 8:30 – 8:45: Welcome and delivery of the IES kit
- 8:45 – 9:00: Ice Breaker - Gabriel Borges / Janislley de Sousa
- 9:00 – 9:15: Introduction to IEEE IES — Leandro Becker
- 9:15 – 9:25: IEEE IES Hubs & Nodes — Leandro Becker
- 9:25 – 9:35: IEEE IES Opportunities and Support Grants — Gabriel Borges / Janislley de Sousa
- 9:35 – 9:55: IES Challenges in Brazil — General discussion
- 9:55 – 10:00: Group Photo
Exclusive Space at the Student Branch Fair
Also on June 5, the IES participated in the Student Branch Fair with a dedicated sponsorship table. This space facilitated direct dialogue with students and volunteer leaders, where IES representatives distributed promotional materials and presented the tangible benefits of both student and professional IES memberships.
The booth also created an important opportunity to discuss the creation of new IES Student Branch Chapters, introduce students to the society’s technical areas, and connect local volunteer groups with international IES programs and funding opportunities.
The activity was highly successful, resulting in 14 new IES student memberships during the fair and strengthening the society’s visibility among students and Young Professionals attending the event.
IES Ignite Session
On June 6, the IES took the main stage for a brief and high-impact presentation to the general audience. The session was delivered by Dr. Leandro Becker in a 15-minute Ignite Session, introducing attendees to the IES ecosystem, its technical areas, and opportunities for students, Young Professionals, and volunteer leaders.
This presentation helped expand the visibility of the society beyond the chapter meeting, ensuring that the broader event audience became familiar with IES activities, membership benefits, technical communities, global programs, and opportunities for engagement.
Industry Engagement
During the event, the IES supported the first IEEE Entrepreneurship activity held in this context, the SparkIEEE Challenge. The initiative consisted of a dynamic 90-minute competition designed to connect companies, students, and Young Professionals through real industry challenges, promoting innovation in an agile and collaborative environment.
The company involved in this activity was Itaipu Parquetec, which contributed to strengthening the link between IEEE volunteers, entrepreneurship, and industry-driven problem solving. Dr. Leandro Becker also participated as a judge during the competition, supporting the evaluation of student proposals and innovation-driven solutions.
In addition , the event enabled direct interaction with Positivo Tecnologia and Indicium AI, opening new channels for future collaboration between the IEEE IES community, local industry, and innovation-oriented initiatives.
Academia Engagement
Professor Dr. Marco A. Wehrmeister presented the workshop “Starting a Career in Scientific Research: Perspectives and Opportunities”, focused on introducing students and Young Professionals to the fundamentals of building an academic and research-oriented career.
The activity provided participants with the opportunity to discuss how to start a scientific career, how to identify research opportunities, how to engage with research groups, how to prepare for graduate studies, and how to connect academic development with real-world technological challenges. The session also encouraged reflections on scientific publication, project development, international collaboration, and the role of IEEE societies in supporting early-career researchers.
The workshop had a total of 27 participants, reinforcing the importance of academic mentorship and research-oriented training within the student and Young Professional community.
Speakers
Event Leaders: Janislley de Sousa and Gabriel Borges.
- Dr. Leandro Becker — UFSC
- Ph.D. Candidate Janislley de Sousa — UFAM / SIDIA
- Gabriel Borges — UFRN
- Dr. Marco A. Wehrmeister — UTFPR
Outcomes
As a result of this active participation, the event consolidated excellent outcomes for the future of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society in Brazil:
National Engagement: The IES strengthened its connection with young leadership from across the country, engaging almost 200 participants and over 30 Student Branches from all five sections of the IEEE Brazil Council. In total, the event counted 68 IES students and Young Professionals participating in IES activities.
Membership Development: The IES achieved 14 new student memberships during the event, demonstrating strong interest from students in joining the society and engaging with its technical and professional opportunities.
Student Branch Chapter Expansion: The event advanced alignments for the foundation of three new IES Student Branch Chapters, reinforcing the society’s strategy to expand its presence among students and young professionals in Brazil.
Leadership Development: The second edition of the IES Student Branch Chapters Meeting created a dedicated space for training, discussion, and alignment with volunteer leaders interested in building sustainable IES activities in their local institutions.
Academic Engagement: The workshop led by Dr. Marco A. Wehrmeister strengthened the connection between IES, students, and the academic community by encouraging discussions on research careers, graduate studies, scientific development, and long-term engagement with IEEE technical societies.
Technical Dissemination: The IES Ignite Session increased awareness of the IES ecosystem, including its technical fields of interest, membership opportunities, global programs, and support mechanisms for students and volunteers.
Industry Connections: The IES established direct contact and opened collaboration channels with three industry and innovation partners: Itaipu Parquetec, Positivo Tecnologia, and Indicium AI. These interactions expanded opportunities for future technical cooperation, entrepreneurship activities, and industry-oriented initiatives.
