HCM-UTE Receives Hosting Rights for IEEE SMC 2027 in Ho Chi Minh City

During a working visit to the United States from October 2 to 9, 2026, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chau Dinh Thanh, Vice President, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Phong, Acting Director of the Office of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering (HCM-UTE, formerly Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education), received the hosting rights for the 2027 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (IEEE SMC 2027).

Held annually since 1971, IEEE SMC brings together scientists, experts and researchers from many countries, providing a forum to share advanced research in intelligent systems, artificial intelligence, cybernetics and human–machine interaction. Hosting IEEE SMC 2027 gives HCM-UTE an opportunity to strengthen its ties with the international scientific community, expand research collaboration and raise the University’s academic standing internationally.

HCM-UTE to Host IEEE SMC 2027 in Ho Chi Minh City

The certificate transferring the hosting rights was presented to the HCM-UTE representatives by Prof. Ying (Gina) Tang of Rowan University (USA), General Chair of IEEE SMC 2026, at the formal closing session of IEEE SMC 2026. The ceremony brought the conference in Bellevue to a close and marked the start of preparations for IEEE SMC 2027, as Ho Chi Minh City becomes the next meeting point for the international research community in intelligent systems, cybernetics and human–machine interaction. From Bellevue to Ho Chi Minh City, the responsibility of hosting is passed on together with the IEEE SMC Society’s confidence in HCM-UTE’s organizational capacity and expertise.

IEEE SMC: A Respected Scientific Forum for More Than Half a Century

The IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (IEEE SMC) is the flagship annual conference of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (IEEE SMCS) and has been held without interruption since 1971. The conference brings together scientists, experts, faculty members and companies from many countries to share new research achievements in intelligent systems, automatic control, artificial intelligence, robotics, data science and human–machine interaction. The IEEE SMC Society has also been the birthplace of several major professional communities. Among them, the robotics and automation research groups once active within the Society later grew into the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.

After its first editions in the United States, the conference came to Asia for the first time in 1978 in Japan, and has since traveled across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Recent editions were held in Prague (2022), Honolulu (2023), Kuching, Malaysia (2024) and Vienna (2025). In Southeast Asia, the conference has been held only twice, in Singapore (2008) and Malaysia (2024).

IEEE SMC 2026 took place from October 4 to 7, 2026, in Bellevue, Washington, USA, marking the conference’s return to the Seattle area after 44 years, since its 1982 edition. Under the theme “Human-Centric Intelligence: Shaping the Digital Future,” the conference sought to connect academia, experts and industry to develop intelligent systems that serve people and society. Three keynote speeches were delivered by Prof. MengChu Zhou (New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA), Dr. Danielle Belgrave (GSK) and Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro (Osaka University, Japan), a world-renowned scientist known for his humanlike android robots. In addition to the paper sessions, the conference featured a panel discussion on humanoid robots and human–AI symbiosis, the BR41N.IO brain–computer interface hackathon, a student drone competition, and the participation of technology companies such as Squirrel AI Learning, Shimadzu and Quanser.

IEEE SMC 2026 received about 2,500 paper submissions, of which 1,200 were accepted for publication and presentation at the conference. The event drew around 800 delegates from countries with advanced science and technology, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. These figures reflect the conference’s academic scale and its ability to connect the international research community.

Following the 2026 edition, IEEE SMC 2027 is expected to take place from October 6 to 10, 2027, in Ho Chi Minh City, the first time the conference will be held in Vietnam. Under the theme “Human-AI Symbiosis: Engineering Intelligent, Autonomous, and Sustainable Futures,” the conference aims to advance research and development of intelligent, autonomous and sustainable systems in which humans and artificial intelligence interact with and support each other.

Preparing for IEEE SMC 2027 in Ho Chi Minh City

During the visit from October 2 to 9, 2026, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chau Dinh Thanh and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Phong worked with the leadership of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (IEEE SMCS) on the organization of IEEE SMC 2027 in Ho Chi Minh City. The delegation also introduced the planned program of IEEE SMC 2027 and presented HCM-UTE to the international scientific community, while meeting many leading scientists in the field to build cooperation with the University in conference organization and scientific research.

The decision to host IEEE SMC 2027 builds on the University’s many years of experience in organizing international conferences, including the International Conference on System Science and Engineering (ICSSE), the International Conference on Green Technology and Sustainable Development (GTSD) and the International Engineering and Technology Education Conference (IETEC), whose proceedings are published by IEEE Xplore and Springer.

Hosting IEEE SMC 2027 is an opportunity for HCM-UTE to raise its international scientific profile, bring leading scientists from around the world to Vietnam, and give its faculty members and students direct access to new research directions in intelligent systems, artificial intelligence and robotics. Through this forum, new research ideas and partnerships will continue to grow, helping science and technology serve people and sustainable development.

Text: PP – Photos: Office of Science and Technology