2026 The 8th World Symposium on Software Engineering (WSSE 2026)
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About this event
8th World Symposium on Software Engineering (WSSE 2026)
Dates: October 16–18, 2026
Venue: Nara, Japan
About WSSE 2026
The 8th World Symposium on Software Engineering (WSSE 2026) invites scholars, researchers, and industry professionals to Nara, Japan, for a three-day academic and professional exchange. Hosted by Nara Women's University and supported by a global coalition of academic institutions, this symposium aims to advance software engineering research, foster international collaboration, and explore cutting-edge innovations in the field.
Sponsored by:
- Nara Women's University
- Hiroshima University
- Science and Engineering Institute
- Kindai University
- Wuhan University
- University of Houston-Downtown
- Huaqiao University
- University of Houston-Clear Lake
- University of North Dakota
- Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications
Academic Highlights
WSSE 2026 will feature:
- Keynote presentations by leading experts
- Oral and poster sessions for research dissemination
- Exhibitions showcasing technological advancements
- Networking opportunities with global peers
Proceedings: Accepted, registered, and presented papers will be published in ACM Conference Proceedings and submitted for indexing in Ei Compendex and Scopus.
Special Session
AI-Enabled New Paradigms in Software Engineering
Chair: Hongping Gan, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
Submission: Email wsse@sciei.org (Note session I in submission)
Publication Opportunities
Select high-quality papers will be invited for extension and submission to the Software journal (ISSN 2674-113X) special issue: "Software Reliability, Security and Quality Assurance".
Special Issue Editors:
- Prof. Dr. Tadashi Dohi, Hiroshima University, Japan
- Dr. Junjun Zheng, Hiroshima University, Japan
- Dr. Xiaoyi Zhang, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China
Key Deadlines
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission (Full Paper/Abstract) | July 25, 2026 |
| Notification of Acceptance | August 15, 2026 |
| Registration | August 30, 2026 |
| Special Session Submission | August 30, 2026 |
Registration & Contact
For registration and guidelines, visit the official WSSE 2026 website: http://www.wsse.org/
Contact: wsse@sciei.org
Data sheet
2026 The 8th World Symposium on Software Engineering (WSSE 2026) – Event Attendee & Buyer Profile Analysis
Event date: October 16–18, 2026
Location: Nara Women’s University, Nara, Japan
Event status: Upcoming
Research date: June 30, 2026
Event Overview
| Event Name | 8th World Symposium on Software Engineering (WSSE 2026) |
| Event Date | October 16–18, 2026 |
| Event Status | Upcoming |
| Venue | Nara Women’s University |
| City | Nara |
| State / Region | Nara Prefecture |
| Country | Japan |
| Organizer | Science and Engineering Institute (conference organizer/contact on official site); sponsored by Nara Women’s University, Hiroshima University, and Science and Engineering Institute |
| Official Event Website | wsse.org |
| Event Type | Academic symposium / international conference |
| Primary Category | IT & Technology |
| Secondary Applicable Categories | Education & Training; Science & Research |
| Audience Reach | Global |
| Estimated Attendance / Expected Footfall | Attendance figure not publicly confirmed by the organizer. |
| Attendance Data Reliability | Low for volume metrics; high for dates, city, country, symposium format, sponsors, and program structure based on official website content. |
| Main Purpose of Event | To convene scholars, researchers, and industry professionals for peer-reviewed software engineering research exchange, keynote sessions, oral talks, poster presentations, exhibitions, and international collaboration. |
About the Event
WSSE 2026 is the 8th edition of the World Symposium on Software Engineering, scheduled for October 16–18, 2026 in Nara, Japan. Based on the official event website, the symposium is positioned as an international academic and professional gathering focused on software engineering research, with keynote presentations, oral talks, poster sessions, exhibitions, and a peer-reviewed proceedings pathway through ACM conference proceedings.
The event matters primarily for research-led networking, university collaboration, publication-oriented participation, and industry-academia engagement in software engineering topics. The attendee base is likely to include faculty, researchers, graduate students, lab leaders, software engineering specialists, and selected industry professionals with interests in AI-enabled software engineering, software quality, security, reliability, and related R&D themes. For lead generation, this is a targeted event for academic partnerships, conference sponsorship outreach, research tooling, developer platforms, and software engineering innovation relationships rather than mass commercial buyer acquisition.
1. Who Attends: Buyers / Attendees
| Buyer / Attendee Segment | Typical Organizations | Buying Role or Influence | Relevance to Exhibitors / Suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|
| University faculty and principal investigators | Universities, engineering schools, computer science departments | Influence research software adoption, lab tools, publication platforms, collaboration projects | High relevance for research tools, testing platforms, code analysis, educational software, and sponsorships |
| Academic researchers and postdoctoral scholars | Research institutes, university labs, software engineering centers | Technical evaluators and users of specialized software engineering tools | Useful for product trials, pilot usage, citation visibility, and technical validation |
| Graduate students and doctoral candidates | Master’s and PhD programs in software engineering, computer science, AI | End users, recommenders, future enterprise and academic buyers | Relevant for developer platforms, academic subscriptions, learning environments, and community building |
| Industry R&D professionals | Software companies, enterprise engineering teams, innovation groups | Technical buyers or influencers for tooling, automation, testing, DevOps, AI-assisted engineering | Relevant for B2B software vendors and technical solution providers |
| Conference sponsors and academic partners | Universities, institutes, conference support bodies | Partnership and visibility decision-makers | Useful for institutional outreach, co-branding, future event partnerships, and sponsored sessions |
| Editors, reviewers, and publication stakeholders | Journals, proceedings teams, academic publishing stakeholders | Influence publication pathways and research dissemination | Relevant for indexing, scholarly communication, research impact, and editorial partnerships |
| Department heads and program leaders | Engineering departments, computer science schools, innovation programs | Budget holders for academic software, training, and collaboration initiatives | High-value targets for institutional licenses, curriculum tools, and sponsored research |
2. Event Location and Attendee Geographic Origin
| Geographic Area | Likely Attendee Origin | Buyer Concentration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nara | Local host attendees, university faculty, students, institutional partners | Moderate | Host-city participation is likely anchored by Nara Women’s University and local academic stakeholders |
| Nara Prefecture / Kansai region | Regional universities, research groups, nearby software and engineering professionals | High | Kansai access supports attendance from Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and surrounding institutions |
| Japan national market | Researchers, faculty, graduate students, and technical specialists from across Japan | High | Japanese host location and local sponsors make domestic academic participation likely |
| East Asia | University and research participants from China and nearby Asian markets | High | Official co-sponsors and technical support organizations include Chinese institutions |
| North America | Academic collaborators, technical support organizations, and software engineering researchers | Moderate | University of Houston-Downtown, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and University of North Dakota indicate cross-border participation potential |
| Global | International scholars and industry professionals | Moderate to High | Official site explicitly invites the scientific community and peers from around the globe |
3. Audience Reach
| Reach Level | Assessment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Global | Primary classification | The official site frames WSSE 2026 as an international symposium and references global peers, multi-country academic support, and international publication/indexing pathways. |
| Regional / National | Secondary practical reach | In operational terms, attendee density is likely strongest across Japan and neighboring Asian academic markets due to host geography and sponsor composition. |
4. Sample Buyer Companies and Websites
| Buyer Company / Organization | Buyer Type | Why It Is Relevant | Website | Best Job Titles to Target | Evidence Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nara Women’s University | Host academic institution | Named sponsor and host-side institution connected to the event location | nara-wu.ac.jp | Professor, Department Head, Research Center Director, Conference Chair, IT Director | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| Hiroshima University | Academic sponsor | Official sponsor; also tied to special issue editors on the event site | hiroshima-u.ac.jp | Professor, Lab Director, Software Engineering Research Lead, Dean, Partnerships Director | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| Science and Engineering Institute | Organizer / sponsor | Official sponsor and operating contact body for the conference | sciei.org | Conference Manager, Academic Partnerships Director, Program Director, Sponsorship Manager | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| Kindai University | Academic co-sponsor | Official co-sponsor relevant for faculty and research outreach | kindai.ac.jp | Professor, Research Director, Computer Science Chair, Innovation Lead | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| Wuhan University | Academic co-sponsor | Official co-sponsor indicating cross-border academic engagement | whu.edu.cn | Professor, School Director, Research Group Leader, International Collaboration Officer | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| University of Houston-Downtown | Academic co-sponsor | Official co-sponsor with likely faculty, research, and conference participation relevance | uhd.edu | Professor, Program Director, Industry Liaison, Department Chair | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| Huaqiao University | Academic co-sponsor | Official co-sponsor relevant for software engineering and international research exchange | hqu.edu.cn | Professor, Research Lead, Academic Affairs Director, Innovation Program Lead | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake | Technical support institution | Named as providing technical support; relevant for advanced software engineering contacts | uhcl.edu | Professor, Technical Program Committee Member, Research Director, IT Department Lead | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| University of North Dakota | Technical support institution | Officially listed as technical support organization | und.edu | Professor, Research Center Director, Engineering Dean, Lab Manager | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
| Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications | Technical support institution | Officially listed as technical support organization relevant to software engineering and communications technology | cqupt.edu.cn | Professor, Software Engineering Director, Research Lead, International Office Director | Confirmed Sponsor / Exhibitor |
Note: This event is not a classic trade show buyer list environment. The organizations above are confirmed sponsor, co-sponsor, support, or host-side institutions from official event information and are best treated as institutional outreach targets rather than confirmed procurement buyers.
5. Job Profiles, Industries and Event Type
| Priority | Job Title / Function | Department | Seniority Level | Why This Role Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professor / Associate Professor in Software Engineering | Academic / Research | Senior, Director | Core research audience with influence over lab tools, partnerships, conference engagement, and institutional adoption |
| 2 | Research Director / Lab Director | R&D | Director, VP | Potential budget holder for research software, technical infrastructure, and collaboration projects |
| 3 | Department Chair / Head of Computer Science | Academic Administration | Director, VP, C-Level equivalent | Decision-maker for curriculum, institutional partnerships, and software procurement discussions |
| 4 | Software Engineering Researcher | Research | Manager, Senior, Individual Contributor | Direct end user and technical evaluator of tools, datasets, and engineering platforms |
| 5 | Program Director / Academic Affairs Director | Programs / Administration | Director | Relevant for conference partnerships, sponsored workshops, training, and institutional programs |
| 6 | IT Director / Research Computing Manager | IT / Infrastructure | Director, Manager | Relevant when selling software platforms, security, repositories, cloud, or compute environments |
| 7 | Industry Partnerships Director | Partnerships / External Relations | Director | Important for sponsorship sales, collaboration agreements, and pilot project introductions |
| 8 | CTO / Engineering Director | Engineering / Technology | Director, VP, C-Level | Relevant for industry-side attendees evaluating advanced engineering methods and academic partnerships |
| Priority | Apollo Industry | Why It Fits the Event | Best Buyer Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Higher Education | Most directly aligned with sponsors, co-sponsors, and likely attendee institutions | Faculty outreach, lab software, sponsored research, academic partnerships |
| 2 | Research | Core fit for research institutes and software engineering R&D groups | Research tools, datasets, collaboration platforms, grant-linked projects |
| 3 | Information Technology & Services | Relevant for software engineering service providers and technical buyers | Platform demos, technical partnerships, dev tooling sales |
| 4 | Computer Software | Direct thematic alignment with software engineering professionals | Developer tools, QA, AI coding platforms, testing, CI/CD |
| 5 | Computer & Network Security | Event site references software reliability, security, and quality assurance themes | Secure development lifecycle, code security scanning, academic research pilots |
| 6 | E-Learning | Relevant where curriculum support and teaching technology are sold into universities | Courseware, coding labs, learning platforms |
| 7 | Education Management | Useful for institutional administrators and program managers | Academic program software, partnership outreach, conference relationships |
| 8 | Industrial Automation | Relevant for applied software engineering and systems development researchers | Research collaboration, engineering software, embedded systems engagement |
| 9 | Semiconductors | Some attendees may work on software-hardware systems and engineering research | Technical partnerships and applied R&D connections |
| 10 | Management Consulting | Selective fit for engineering transformation or innovation consulting firms | Research alliance building and thought leadership outreach |
6. Estimated Attendance
| Metric | Figure | Status | Source / Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated total footfall | Attendance figure not publicly confirmed by the organizer. | Not publicly confirmed | Official site content provided | No attendee count found in the supplied official website content |
| Exhibitor count | Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | Official site content provided | Site mentions exhibitions, but no exhibitor directory or count was provided |
| Buyer count | Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | Official site content provided | Academic symposium format does not present a formal buyer-registration count in supplied materials |
| Speaker count | Not publicly confirmed | Not publicly confirmed | Official site content provided | Keynote presentations are confirmed, but number of speakers is not stated in the provided content |
| Sponsor count | 3 sponsors; 4 co-sponsors; 3 named technical support institutions | Confirmed | Official site content provided | Based on named institutions in the official event description |
| Historical attendance | Not publicly confirmed | Historical / prior-year evidence unavailable in supplied source | Official site content provided | Past editions are listed on the site, but no attendance figures were included in the source text supplied |
7. Key Focus Areas and Buyer Engagement
| Focus Area | Typical Buyer Need | Buyer Engagement Opportunity | Relevant Supplier Offering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineering research | Access to tools, datasets, validation methods, and collaboration networks | Research partnerships, pilots, sponsored demos, academic licensing | Code analysis platforms, testing tools, developer environments, repositories |
| AI-enabled software engineering | Automation, code generation support, engineering productivity improvement | Special-session aligned outreach and technical thought leadership | AI coding assistants, model evaluation tools, intelligent QA platforms |
| Software reliability and quality assurance | Reliable testing, defect reduction, reproducibility, software quality metrics | Technical workshops, benchmarking cases, peer-reviewed validation | QA automation, test management, static analysis, observability tools |
| Software security | Secure development lifecycle and vulnerability identification | Security research collaborations and tool evaluation | Application security testing, code scanning, SBOM, dependency analysis |
| Academic publishing and dissemination | Proceedings publication, indexing visibility, peer-reviewed output | Publishing support, editorial collaboration, academic services | Research communication tools, scholarly analytics, conference services |
| International collaboration | Cross-border research partners, consortium building, student/faculty exchange | Networking meetings, MoU discussions, co-development opportunities | Partnership programs, event sponsorship, collaboration platforms |
Lead Quality Assessment
| Factor | Assessment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer relevance | Medium | Strong for academic software, research tooling, technical partnerships, and sponsorship sales; weaker for general enterprise procurement |
| Decision-maker availability | Medium | Faculty leaders, lab directors, and department heads are likely present, but formal procurement officers may not be a core audience |
| Data collection potential | Low to Medium | No attendee count or public attendee list was confirmed in supplied sources; list-building is likely manual and account-based |
| Apollo targeting potential | High | Institutions and role-based targeting across higher education, research, software, and IT are well suited to Apollo filtering |
| Geographic targeting potential | High | Strong targeting can be built around Japan, East Asia, and participating support institutions in North America |
| Best outreach approach | High | Use account-based outreach focused on research value, technical credibility, publication relevance, and institutional collaboration |
| Overall lead quality | Medium | High quality for niche academic and software engineering solution providers; limited for broad B2B list monetization |
| Best use case | High | Academic partnership development, software engineering tool outreach, conference sponsorship, and research ecosystem prospecting |
| Limitations / risks | Medium | Public buyer-side data is limited; event is publication-focused, not procurement-led; confirmed current-year attendee list was not publicly provided in the source text |
B2B attendee list building suitability: Moderate for targeted academic account mapping; not ideal for high-volume commercial attendee-list sales unless additional official participant directories become available.
Apollo.io Targeting Recommendation
| Filter Type | Recommended Filters | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo industries | Higher Education; Research; Information Technology & Services; Computer Software; Computer & Network Security; Education Management; E-Learning | Build a focused academic and technical buyer universe aligned to WSSE themes |
| Departments | Engineering, Information Technology, Research, Education, Program Management, Partnerships | Capture both technical evaluators and institutional decision-makers |
| Seniority | Manager, Director, VP, C-Level, Owner, Partner, Senior | Prioritize decision-makers and high-influence technical leaders |
| Job titles | Professor, Associate Professor, Department Chair, Head of Computer Science, Research Director, Lab Director, Program Director, IT Director, CTO, Engineering Director, Partnerships Director | Mirror the most likely attendee-side functions for this symposium |
| Geography | Japan, China, United States, broader East Asia | Reflect sponsor locations and likely international attendee corridors |
| Employee size | 201–500; 501–1,000; 1,001–5,000; 5,001+ | Best fit for universities, research institutes, and established software organizations |
| Keywords | software engineering, AI, quality assurance, software reliability, software security, testing, DevOps, research lab, computer science, ACM | Tighten relevance to WSSE subject matter |
| Technologies | If available in Apollo: GitHub, GitLab, Jira, cloud platforms, CI/CD tools, code analysis tools | Identify organizations likely to value advanced engineering tooling |
| Revenue range | Not essential for university targeting; use selectively for software companies | Avoid excluding public or nonprofit institutions without revenue clarity |
| Company type | Educational institutions, research organizations, public universities, software companies | Separate institutional and commercial outreach motions |
Suggested Apollo Search Logic: ("software engineering" OR "computer science" OR "AI" OR "quality assurance" OR "software reliability" OR "software security") AND (Professor OR "Research Director" OR "Department Chair" OR "Lab Director" OR "IT Director" OR CTO OR "Engineering Director") AND (Higher Education OR Research OR "Computer Software" OR "Information Technology & Services").
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Sources & Verification Notes
| Source | Type | What It Verified | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSSE 2026 Official Website | Official event website | Event title, dates, city, country, symposium positioning, sponsors, co-sponsors, technical support institutions, submission deadlines, program elements, proceedings details, special session topic | High |
| User-supplied event details | Provided event metadata | Venue listed as Nara Women’s University; start and end dates aligned with official website content | Medium to High |
| Official organization websites of named sponsor/support institutions | Institutional websites | Website domains for listed institutions used in sample target table | High for domain verification |
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