UNIGIS MSc: 2012 class is taking aim ...

... at reaching their objectives! After having started their studies earlier this year, more than 50 new MSc candidates are convening at the University of Salzburg for their getting-acquainted workshop. A mixed agenda of introductions, orientation sessions on curriculum / modules / learning platform / approaches to study, plus reflecting on motivations and objectives for their studies keeps everybody involved.

The main objective of the workshop of getting everyone off 'to a good start' into their UNIGIS MSc studies requires a clear focus on establishing communications and building a 'community of learning practice'. This year's group again has a diverse background from surveying, geography, computing, natural resources, planning, engineering and more - clearly demonstrating the transversal methodology focus of Geoinformatics.

UNIGIS degrees and certificates have an excellent record as key building blocks for 'geospatial' careers in industry, public service, NGOs and academia. The Salzburg UNIGIS team wishes all new students a successful start into this intensive phase of their lives, and reaching of all personal and professional objectives!

UNIGIS joining FIG as Academic Member

UNIGIS is proud to announce that at the latest Council Meeting of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), the Council decided to welcome UNIGIS as an Academic Member.

FIG was founded in Paris in 1878 and is the premier international organization representing the interests of surveyors worldwide. It is a federation of the national member associations and covers the whole range of professional fields within the global surveying community. It provides an international forum for discussion and development aiming to promote professional practice and standards.

Academic membership links universities or their faculties or departments, that are responsible for surveying education and related disciplines in more than 110 countries. These institutions promote education or research in one or more of the disciplines of surveying.

UNIGIS is honoured to share these objectives with FIG, and we are looking forward to fruitful cooperation in the future!

UNIGIS Int'l: Thanks to Anna Szukalska!

Anna Szukalska from Krakow has managed the UNIGIS International Office for four years, coordinating meetings, communication and processes across all UNIGIS partner universities. In addition to managing external liaisons with industry partners and membership in associations, she assisted with marketing and 'kept the wheels spinning' when everyone else seemed to be busy with other tasks.

With the end of 2012 Anna will hand over her responsibilities at UNIGIS International to her successor, and focus on her work at UNIGIS Poland. We will miss her motivating spirit and sense of duty, leading our Association into many initiatives which were not feasible before. UNIGIS Chair Prof Josef Strobl expressed all network members' gratitude at the recent Krakow workshop, and thanked Anna for her contributions towards making UNIGIS the leading option for in-service professional continuing education in GIScience and Geoinformatics worldwide!

UNIGIS workshop of intake 2010 in Kraków, Poland.

Last weekend almost 50 students of UNIGIS intake 2010 arrived to Kraków to take part in their fourth and last UNIGIS workshop. They were eager to meet each other and to strengthen their learning motivation for last three months of their studies.

Apart of the practical classes in remote sensing they attended lectures discussing new trends in GISience and worked in groups on the collaborative project issues.

Equally important to the ‘GIS’ part of thee workshop were more pedagogically oriented classes dealing with students learning styles, their feedback regarding UNIGIS obligatory modules and showing the results achieved by group and each student. Ten of students, who presented the best performance were awarded with geoinformation books.

The social importance of the workshop was highlighted by the common dinner in one of restaurants in the Kraków Old Town. We hope to have next tens of UNIGIS Kraków alumni soon!

Geospatial World Forum 2012 - UNIGIS as Co-Sponsor!

UNIGIS International is a Co-Sponsor of the Geospatial World Forum' 2012 which will be organised from 23rd to 27th April, 2012 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Josef Strobl (Chair, UNIGIS International) has been invited to share his ideas, experiences and vision about 'Evolving Industry-Institution Network for Capacity Building' in GIScience & Systems. This exclusive session involves several eminent speakers including A P J Abdul Kalam (11th President, Republic of India) and Jack Dangermond (Founder and President, ESRI Inc., Redlands, California, USA).

As the premium global geospatial industry event, Geospatial World Forum will bring various stakeholders, service providers, policy makers as well as users to a common platform for leveraging opportunities of discussion, debate, interaction and global networking.