Next Generation Network Showcase at CIGRE Paris Session 2024

                                            

During CIGRE Paris Session 2024, the Next Generation Network (NGN) will again be organizing a showcase for NGN members to exhibit their work to the global CIGRE community. The NGN Showcase was originally proposed by the CIGRE United Kingdom NGN in 2015, aiming to showcase the talent of NGN members from around the world and benefitting individual NGN members by providing a fantastic developmental and networking opportunity early in their careers. Through the event, it was also expected to enhance international collaboration between NGN groups, increase NGN member participation in the Paris Session and help drive sustainable membership growth for CIGRE by engaging with potential future experts in the industry.

 

The first NGN Showcase was held at CIGRE Paris Session 2016.  Since then, four additional showcases have been organized at the CIGRE Paris Sessions in 2018 and 2022, and as part of the e-Session in 2020 and the Virtual Centennial Session in 2021. All five events turned out to be great successes. With the positive feedback received from participants, Study Committee (SC) Chairs and Session delegates, it is planned to hold the sixth event at CIGRE Paris Session 2024.

 

Each National Committee (NC) is allowed to submit up to four nominations, as described below, with a maximum of one nomination per SC. Nominees must be a member of CIGRE and meet their NC NGN group membership requirements, or must be under the age of 35 if their country does not have an NGN group. Each NC is responsible for recruiting and selecting their candidates, and ensuring the technical quality and presentation skills of the candidates they put forward.

 

Each nomination made by an NC must include the following materials and must be received by the NGN Showcase Coordinators (via the following email address: ngnshowcase2015@163.com) by 6 February 2024.

 

• A full paper (up to 12 pages) prepared by the candidate. Each paper topic must align with a Paris preferential subject and cannot be based on a paper already submitted or accepted at the Paris Session.
• A draft of the candidate’s presentation slides for a 10-minute presentation.
• A completed one-page supporting information form.

 

Prior to the 2022 Paris Session, candidates were not required to submit full papers but only two-page synopses. However, at the request of many Session delegates and after discussions with the SC Chairs, it was decided to require full papers beginning with the 2022 Paris Session.

 

In each SC, at least two “NGN Showcase” slots will be made available to CIGRE NGN members. The SC Chairs will have the final decision of which candidates are of sufficient technical quality for inclusion in their discussion sessions. There is no guarantee of a candidate being allocated a slot and the SC Chairs have the right to reject all submissions to their SC if they do not feel they are of sufficient technical quality or appropriately related to the preferential subjects of their SC.

 

Each candidate selected to participate in the NGN Showcase will receive the following:

• A presentation slot during their respective Study Committee Group Discussion Meeting (GDM)
• Space at their respective Study Committee poster session
• The paper will be included in the Paris Session proceedings
• An invitation to participate in the NGN Presentation Competition during the Paris Session
• Free registration for the 2024 Paris Session.

 

 

Statistics regarding country and SC participation during each of the previous NGN Showcases are shown in Table 1.

 

Table 1:  NGN Showcase Participation Statistics

     

	2016	2018	2020	2021*	2022**
Participating Countries	14	21	23	19	12
Nominations	38	52	63	44	30
Selections	22	31	33	29	26
Study Committees Represented	16	13	16	14	16

*Note:  Several countries chose not to participate due to the uncertainty regarding the pandemic.

**Note:  This was the first year full papers were required as part of each candidate’s nomination materials.

 

 

The first NGN Presentation Competition was held at the 2022 Paris Session on Wednesday morning. During the event, each participant was invited to give a 10-minute presentation before a panel of judges made up of members of the CIGRE Steering Committee, Technical Council and NGN members. The event allowed Session delegates to see NGN members present their work from a variety of SCs, which they normally would not have been able to see without attending each of the SC GDMs. Following the event, several awards were given to the best presentations. It is planned to again hold the presentation competition on the Wednesday morning of the 2024 Paris Session.

 

NGN members interested in participating in the event should reach out to their National Committee or NGN group for additional information on their National Committee selection process. For NGN members from countries that do not have a National Committee, please contact the NGN Showcase Coordinators via the following email address: ngnshowcase2015@163.com. General questions can also be directed to the same email address.