Geoinformatics Teacher Training in Bishkek

This week, teachers from Tempus 'GEM' partner universities are attending a capacity building seminar at KSUCTA in Bishkek. With support from the Austrian EPU network, six instructors from the University of Salzburg, Technical University Graz and Carinthia University of Applied Sciences are assisting Geoinformatics teachers from Central Asia with further developing their skills and competences. Prof. Gernot Paulus has led the compilation and implementation of a stimulating program:

OpenStreetMap, in connection with a variety of OSM-based applications and technologies is the main focus of the seminar, with practical exercises demonstrating the mapping of the marshrutka public transport network across the city. Starting with GPS data acquisition and online editing, continuing with data model development and then exploring a variety of rendering options, participants are developing a deeper insight into the potential of OSM.

This focus topic is complemented by small group instruction in photogrammetry and orthorectification, hands-on lab exercises with Idrisi Selva, and work with metadata acquisition supporting the Central Asia Geoportal. Overall, participants will be able to 'take home' a broad range of new skills and expertise across a variety of Geoinformatics topics.

Special thanks go to the local organizers at the Austria - Central Asia Centre for GIScience  = ACA*GIScience, again demonstrating their excellence as a geospatial competence centre, and working as a motivated and supportive team able to facilitate advanced trainings like this.

GIS Day 2012 at KSUCTA

Today we have celebrated GIS Day at KSUCTA. Due to our focus on Geoinformatics study programs, and the recent start of the second group in our Tempus GEM MSc, this is a very special day for all of us. We tool this occasion to ask our teachers, bachelor students and MSc students only one question: "What is GIS for you?"

Enjoy the movie with their answers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODYolh5_Sjs

I hope all our partners have enjoyed GIS Day as much as we did :-)

Opening of GIS lab at KazNU

On Nov 8 the new GIS computer lab at the Faculty of Geography, Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi was opened. In a ceremony led by KazNU First Vice Rector Burkitbayev Mukhambetkali Myrzabaevich and Faculty Dean Vitali Salnikov, the newly installed lab was dedicated to the first group of students registered in the Geoinformatics MSc program.

The Geoinformatics MSc curriculum as well as the lab design were developed under the Tempus project 510978-TEMPUS-1-2010-1-AT-TEMPUS-JPCR - "Geoinformatics: Managing Energy, Resources, Environment - GEM", led by the University of Salzburg's Z_GIS in cooperation with academic partners from Hungary, Netherlands, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and of course Kazakhstan.

The opening was honored by an address from Shaizada Tasbulatova from the National Tempus Office in Kazakhstan, and best wishes from the European Association of Geography Students (EGEA), conveyed by its president, Svetlana Samsonova. Leaders from several other Kazakh Universities joined in today's celebrations.

Department chairs, teachers and graduate students from the Department of Geography, Planning and Cadastre and the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics had worked hard over many months to make this teaching lab a reality, with very special thanks going to Aizhan Assylbekova for her tireless initiatives towards building this new teaching and learning resource!