• provide a focal point for dissemination of systems engineering knowl-edge;
• promote collaboration in systems engineering education and research;
• assure the establishment of professional standards for integrity and in the practice of systems engineering;
• encourage governmental and industrial support for research and educational programmes that will improve the systems engineering process and its practice.

We are a dynamic and growing organisation, having been in existence for 9 short years. Our growth has exceeded 3,300 members in 20 countries and 33 chartered chapters plus SESA (with more on the way). The local chapters, volunteer committees, and working groups provide the energy and direction for the organisation. The overall orchestration of INCOSE is the responsibility of an executive committee consisting of the president, secretary, and treasurer. The executive committee and the 15 directors comprise the board, which guides INCOSE activities. The Corporate Advisory Board provides additional guidance and recommendations, as well as serving as the "voice of the consumer" for our products.

INCOSE’s meeting cycle has evolved into two major annual meetings:

• a business/working committee meeting in January, and
• a technical symposium at mid-year, generally in July.

The technical symposium is one of INCOSE’s foremost events, drawing 800 participants for four days of technical exchange, paper presentations, panel discussions, and tutorials.

Throughout the year, there are regional conferences, tutorials and speaker meetings organised by INCOSE chapters. Our products include proceedings from the annual symposia in formats of printed volumes and CD-ROM, handbooks and guidebooks, a systems engineering journal, and our Internet offerings. Our quarterly newsletter,

INSIGHT, has grown to over 44 pages per issue and serves as one of the many ways we communicate with our membership. INCOSE has a presence on the World Wide Web at URL= www.incose.org , and conducts online discussions through an Internet listserver.

We invite you to learn more about our technical committee activities, local chapters, and our various boards and administrative committees. If you are not a member, consider the low cost of membership in INCOSE (only $80 US per year) and the many benefits you will derive in an association fostering the practice of world class systems engineering.