Building Global Connections at IEEE ISTAS 2026
AMMACHI Labs and the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment engage with international leaders to strengthen collaboration at the intersection of technology, society and humanitarian impact.
Connecting Technology, Society and Global Leadership
The IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS) 2026, the flagship conference of the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT), provided a valuable platform for international engagement, knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Held from 14 to 16 October 2026 in Kovalam, Kerala, India, the symposium offered an inspiring opportunity for Asst. Prof. Gayathri Anand Manikutty from AMMACHI Labs and Aswathi P. from the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (CWEGE), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, to connect and engage with distinguished members of the IEEE SSIT leadership.
The interactions brought together an inspiring group of leaders representing diverse expertise in technology, education, research, professional engagement and the societal implications of technological advancement.
Meaningful conversations and international engagement create opportunities to strengthen partnerships and advance technology for positive societal impact.
Engaging with Global Leaders
The interactions at ISTAS 2026 provided opportunities to engage with distinguished members of the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology leadership and the IEEE Kerala Section.
The meaningful exchanges included interactions with:
- Dr. Murty Polavarapu – SSIT President
- Dr. Kalyan Sen – SSIT President-Elect
- Dr. Luis Kun – SSIT Immediate Past President
- Dr. Heather Love – SSIT Vice President, Conferences
- Dr. Ketra Schmitt – SSIT Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine
- Dr. Maike Luiken – SSIT Vice President, Liaisons, Public Outreach and Visibility
- Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu – SSIT Vice President, Membership
- Ruth Lewis – SSIT Chair, IEEE SSIT Standards Committee
- Harivardhagini Subhadra – SSIT Member-at-Large
- Sharada Jayakrishnan – IEEE Kerala Section SSIT Chair
- Dr. V. S. K. Murthy Balijepalli (Krish) – Vice Chair, IEEE SSIT Education Committee
Strengthening International Networks and Collaboration
The interactions at ISTAS 2026 created valuable opportunities to exchange perspectives, share experiences and explore potential collaborations across disciplines and geographical boundaries.
The engagement highlighted the importance of bringing together technology researchers, educators, social scientists and humanitarian practitioners to address emerging societal challenges.
It also reinforced the value of interdisciplinary approaches in advancing socially responsible innovation and developing technology-driven solutions that respond to community needs.
For AMMACHI Labs and the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (CWEGE) at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, these connections offer opportunities to strengthen international partnerships and explore collaborative initiatives integrating technology, gender equality, education and social impact.
Moments from IEEE ISTAS 2026
Highlights from the symposium and interactions with IEEE SSIT leadership.
Sustainable Development Goals
The engagement reflects opportunities to advance inclusive innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships for sustainable development.
SDG connections are presented as thematic relevance to the engagement and its collaboration objectives.
Looking Ahead
Building on these meaningful engagements, AMMACHI Labs and CWEGE look forward to strengthening international networks, fostering interdisciplinary research and exploring future collaborations with the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology.
The shared commitment to socially responsible innovation and technology for societal good continues to create opportunities for impactful partnerships and solutions that contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Through global collaboration and knowledge exchange, we aim to advance technology-driven initiatives that create meaningful societal impact.
Explore Our Work
Discover more about AMMACHI Labs, CWEGE and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.