BiT Research Director Office Hosts Consultative Program on ICAST Status and Future Directions

[December 17, 2024 Bahir Dar, ISC/BiT]

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Bahir Dar Institute of Technology (BiT) Research Director Office hosted a consultative program to discuss the status, challenges, and future of the International Conference on Advancements of Science and Technology (ICAST). The program aimed to brought together professors, faculty members, and researchers to provide feedback on the conference's progress and its future direction.

Dr. Muluken Temesgen, Director of Research, presented an overview of ICAST. As he explained that ICAST began organizing international conferences in 2012 and has since grown to become one of BiT’s prominent brands. He noted that since 2018, Springer has been publishing the ICAST proceedings as a book series, a significant development that has helped raise the conference’s profile. He added that each year, an average of 200 papers are submitted to ICAST, with approximately 55 to 85 papers selected for presentation at the conference and subsequently published by Springer.

During the discussion, several strengths of ICAST were highlighted, including its continuity, the expansion of its publication series, and the increasing participation of young researchers from BiT. However, challenges were also acknowledged. A key concern raised was the limited international participation, with most of the submitted papers coming from local researchers. Additionally, the conference organizers face difficulties in securing quality papers and reviewers, as well as managing the long editing process. The lack of sponsorship was also noted as a major challenges.

The consultative program provided valuable feedback for enhancing ICAST's future operations, with discussions focusing on strategies to improve international engagement, streamline the review process, and secure sponsorship to ensure the continued success of the conference.

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