Next UNIGIS course for Central Asia students

The UNIGIS study centre for Central Asia at ACA*GIScience in Bishkek has now opened the registration period for the next intake of distance learning students, starting with October 2012. Applications will be accepted until September 10, and candidates are expected to have a background in any 'spatial discipline' or experience in a GIS application domain.

UNIGIS Central Asia offers tutoring in Russian language, but as an international program requires profound English language skills for working with study materials, complete assignments and communicate within the worldwide network of UNIGIS students and alumni.

With a clear focus on continuing education for geospatial / GIS professionals, most candidates come from national and international organisations, the geospatial services industry, and academia. For the first time, candidates are offered the options of registering for a professional diploma or an MSc program of studies, with both qualifications awarded by the University of Salzburg, Austria.

Further information can be found at http://bishkek.unigis.net, email enquiries can be directed to office.bishkek@unigis.net

GISCA 2012 launched at KSUCTA Bishkek

Today, the GIS-in-Central-Asia conference was launched in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Dr Akylbek Chymyrov from the organizing institution ACA*GIScience welcomed participants from 12 countries to this annual event. Words of welcome were contributed by KSUCTA Rector Prof Akymbek Abdykalykov, Prof Dr Josef Strobl from the Austrian partner institution Z_GIS, Tempus national representative Gulnara Chokusheva and Stefano Ghielmetti from the main conference sponsor Trimble.

After a colorful and dynamic cultural welcome of songs and dances, Mr Ghielmetti offered a keynote with a range of case studies illustrating geospatial data acquisition and processing across many application domains. The conference now moves on into its scientific program of presentations, bringing together GIS specialists across the Eurasian continent. Developing a network of experts into communities of practice dedicated to excellence in Geospatial Sciences and innovation in applications and technologies is the main aim of the conference, and substantial progress is being made in this direction.

GISCA 2012 also serves as a teacher training and capacity building opportunity for the Tempus 'GEM' project aiming at developing dedicated Geoinformatics MSc programmes in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.