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25^th Anniversary of ISSPA:

Message from General Chair & Technical Chair

In the mid-80s, ISSPA emerged as a premier symposium dedicated to signal and image processing research to promote the signal processing research activities in Australia and strengthen the collaboration with the Asia-Pacific countries and the rest of the world. With the long-time sponsorship of the IEEE Society, and other professional organizations, ISSPA succeeded in bringing together researchers from the Asia Pacific region, Europe and America for more than two decades now. Moreover, the ever growing popularity of the ISSPA model has been adopted by a number of other Conferences (e.g. ISPACS in Asia and ISPA in the Mediterranean region). Further, a Summer School ISSSPA and a workshop WoSSPA are directly linked to ISSPA.

Since 2007, it expanded to include topics in “Information Sciences”. ISSPA aims to offer a unique forum for a targeted international audience of 200-300 participants so as to facilitate and encourage close interactions, collaborations and exchanges between researchers across the world without distinction of race, religion or nationality. Every 2 and 1/2 years in average, ISSPA gathers researchers and Engineers from universities, governmental laboratories, industrial groups involved in the development of new applications and services relying on signal processing techniques. Since 2003, ISSPA has used a blind review process to ensure that papers submitted for publication are assessed objectively (It is claimed that ISSPA was the first to do so in the field of Signal Processing).

The first ISSPA meeting was held in 1987 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Subsequent meetings in 1990, 1992, 1996 and 1999 were also held in the state of Queensland, Australia. (In 1994 ISSPA merged with ICASSP, held in Adelaide Australia). By then ISSPA had established an international character and reputation, hence the steering committee decision to organize the following ISSPA meeting in another country. In August 2001 the seventh ISSPA meeting took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Following the very successful meeting of Kuala Lumpur in 2001, a vote by the participants confirmed Paris as the clear favorite to hold the 2003 meeting. After Paris, we decided to return ISSPA to Australia and we held it in Sydney in August 2005. It was also decided in Paris that the 2007 event will be held for the first time in an Arab country, specifically in Sharjah, which was then the cultural capital of the Arab world; In Sharjah, a meeting selected KL in Malaysia as the 2010 venue.

ISSPA strongly encourages and facilitates the participation of young scientists who face difficult travel restrictions, so that they can contribute to the scientific progress and establish closer links with their peers around the world. ISSPA has now traveled half way around the world, from Australia to Europe through South-East Asia and Middle East. We hope the journey will continue with greater success.

In this year event, despite the international financial crisis, there were also large contributors from 214 authors from 30 countries arranged in 15 oral and 10 poster sessions. Three Distinguished scientists were invited to give keynote speeches in the plenary sessions. In addition, there were 6 tutorials on carefully selected themes and we strongly welcome you to the lectures. Finally, at the closing ceremony on Thursday afternoon, the general chairman of the conference will give an overview of the conference status, reward the best papers (oral and poster) and plans for the next ISSPA.

We would like to express my sincerest gratitude and thanks to the Program Chair Dr Ridha Hamila, the 6 Track Chairs and the whole ISSPA 2007 international committee for their contribution to this event, and for working tirelessly with the utmost professionalism and being available at all times, evenings, weekends and holidays to deal with urgent issues. This and two years of preparation were needed to help us reach our target of organizing ISSPA 2010 in KL at a similar standard as previous ISSPAs despite the international financial crisis. Special thanks of course to my counterpart in Malaysia, Prof Sheikh Hussain, Co-Chair for his excellent organization of all local matters and events, and his team with special session to the Vice-Chair Dr Syed, and the Malaysian Program Coordinator, Dr Malarvili.

Delegates to ISSPA 2007 are welcome to submit proposals to co-organize one of the future ISSPAs.

Boualem Boashash, ISSPA General Chair and Ridha Hamila, Technical Program Chair,

On behalf of the International ISSPA2010 Committee

Message from the Conference Co-Chair & Vice-Chair

It is with great pleasure that, on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee of ISSPA2010, we welcome you to this important prestigious ISSPA2010 conference and to the beautiful City of Kuala Lumpur. ISSPA 2010 is co-organized by academics from several universities and institutions, including: Qatar University, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), University of Queensland, Australia, University Malaya (UM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), University of Paris 12, KFUPM, to mention just a few.

We would also like to thank all the researchers around the world who submitted their work to ISSPA2010. We wish also to acknowledge with appreciation, the role played by the organizers of this event, particularly the international committee members who have looked into the technical arrangements. Indeed they have duly undertaken the enormous task of reviewing every submitted papers within a limited period of time. Our appreciation also goes to the Malaysian Institute Of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) who is the conference main sponsor.

This is actually the 2^nd time that ISSPA is held in Malaysia. The 1^st time was in 2001, and it was the 1^st time ISSPA was held outside Australia. In this year event, despite the international financial crisis, we received papers from 214 authors spanning from 30 countries. These papers have been arranged into 15 oral and 10 poster sessions. Three distinguished scientists were invited to give keynote speeches in the plenary sessions. In addition, there were 6 tutorials on carefully selected themes. Finally, at the closing ceremony on Thursday afternoon, the general chairman of the conference will give an overview of the conference status, and plans for the next ISSPA.

As ISSPA is an important event with an excellent track record, it takes a lot of hard work and patience for preparation. Although a worldwide participation is evident here, this was slightly reduced from the past due to the international economic downturn which affected the conference in many ways including cost. However, we are proud that ISSPA2010 is still able to provide registered international delegates with benefits that include:

• 1 bag with 3 CD-ROM proceedings for co-authors and colleagues

• All lunches and 2 tea-breaks with snacks

• Welcome Conference Dinner

• Visit to Putra-jaya and MIMOS

• Gift from Malaysian Tourism Department

Finally, we would like to present you the city “KL” as it is commonly known. KL will entice you with busy street shops and modern office towers that symbolize its road to the future. KL brings together the past and the present with its unique cultures allowing visitors an invaluable opportunity to see its remarkable natural treasures. At the birds park of the Lake Gardens you will be treated with the beauties of varieties of plants and animals while the Central Market provide you with its music, crafts and culture practices from different places of Malaysia. And of course the National Museum and the Twin Towers are the symbols of the astounding growth of Malaysia in the past two decades. We suggest that despite your busy schedule during ISSPA, try to find yourselves some time to visit these exciting places that KL has to offer.

Lastly, we wish you all a successful conference and a wonderful stay in Malaysia.

Sheikh Hussain Shaikh Salleh, Co-Chairman ISSPA2010 and Syed Abd Rahman Al-Attas, Vice-Chairman ISSPA2010,

On behalf of the Local Malaysian Organizing Committee, ISSPA 2010.