Event Review | UK and Ireland PES Chapter – Annual General Meeting 2024, University of Manchester
On 4 December, the IEEE UK and Ireland Power and Energy Society Chapter held its 2024 Annual General Meeting at the University of Manchester. The event began with a warm welcome from Dr Robin Preece, Reader in Future Power Systems at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, and Counsellor of the PES Student Branch Chapter.
The Chapter Chair, Eduardo Audiche, followed with opening remarks and a detailed presentation on the Chapter’s performance, showcasing key milestones and achievements.
Attendees were then treated to an insightful technical talk titled “How Can Machine Learning Help Keep Power Systems Secure?” delivered by Dr Panagiotis Papadopoulos, Reader and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Manchester.
Dr Papadopoulos discussed the growing complexity of modern power systems driven by decarbonisation, climate change, and technologies like renewable energy, electric vehicles, and HVDC links. He highlighted how machine learning and advanced measurement systems can address these challenges by enabling improved situational awareness, rapid security assessments, and automated control.
Key areas covered included modelling dynamic behaviours, explainable stability assessments, probabilistic methods, and physics-informed reinforcement learning.
The most moving moment of the day was the Awards Ceremony presented by our Vice Chair, Jelena Ponocko, where the following winners were recognised:
- Best PhD Thesis Competition Award 2024: Dr Isaac Rudden
- Outstanding Engineer Award (< 15 Years): Dr Yutian Zhou
- Outstanding Engineer Award (> 15 Years): Dr Ivana Kockar
- Outstanding Volunteer Award: Dr Nan Chen
After the AWARD Ceremony, the elections results for the term 2025 – 2026 were announced by our Elections Committee Chair (and PES Chapter Past Chair), Jianing Li.
Congratulations to our new UK and Ireland PES Chapter Officers:
- Daniel Donaldson – Chair
- Nan Chen – Vice Chair
- Rosa Serrano – Secretary
- Airam Perez – Treasurer
We extend our best wishes to Daniel, Nan, Rosa, and Airam for a successful term ahead.
After lunch, the Student Branch Chapter Chairs presented their 2024 highlights, followed by discussions on Chapter matters. Eduardo delivered a refresher on OU Analytics, Rosa presented on Women in Power (WiP), and Eduardo also covered vTools for events and officer reporting. The session concluded with an open floor for Any Other Business.
Engaging discussions took place around fostering collaborations with PES Student Branch Chapters and Women in Power to encourage younger generations to pursue STEM subjects.
The day ended with a networking session, accompanied by refreshments and delicious desserts, providing an excellent opportunity for attendees to connect and exchange ideas.
