FIG Commission 2 - Professional Education

Original work plan in .pdf-format.

Title

Professional Education

Prof. Pedro Cavero, Chairperson of Commission 2

Terms of reference

• Learning and teaching methods
• Contents
• Continuing professional development
• The interaction between education, research and practice

Mission Statement

• Methods and content of education: To develop and promote learning and teaching methods and content of curricula with special emphasis on university level, high technology - based education.
• Interaction between academia and practice: To stimulate interaction between university education, research and practice so as continuously to develop educational curricula and enable surveyors to put into practice the results of research and development.
• Academic and professional profiles: Through the promotion of continuing professional development (CPD) and the practical application of research, help surveyors continuously to update their academic and professional profiles.
• Accessible knowledge: To approach surveying education to countries and people with difficulties to access to usual learning methods by new technology (Virtual Academy).
• Educational links: To establish all over the world, but mainly in the third one, liaison groups to facilitate educational joint works, projects, etc.
• Cooperation: Education of surveyors is not only a duty of FIG or Commission 2; strong links of collaboration must be established with the sister organizations and our own Commissions.

General

The Commission 2 Work Plan 2002-2006 tries to fulfil and implement the FIG Council Work Plan 2003-2006. The organization of the Commission own and joint Working Groups is following the principles described in the Council's work plan under sections Introduction, paragraph B and Management paragraph A (Strategic Planning).

In this way, WG 2.1 "Virtual Academy" is deeply inside all activities directed to promote educational opportunities all over the world and, in particular, in the third world countries, where many difficulties appear when it is necessary to implement the educational systems and resources.

The same can be said about WG 2.2 "Curricula models and CPD" and WG 2.3 "Mutual recognition", both absolutely in accordance to the above mentioned paragraphs ("...best or good practice, international standards,...,global sustainable development,...,supporting international humanitarian needs..." and Education could be considered as "humanitarinan need" in many cases).

WG 2.4 (JWG Comm. 2&3) "Knowledge in Spatial Information Management" and WG 2.5 (JWG Comm. 2&7) "Capacity Building in Land Management" are fully within Introduction, paragraph B and, mainly, in 3. Management, A) Strategic Planning, where it is said: "Commitment for sustainability (e.g....spatial planning, land management, land use,...)".

All WGs have for general purpose the "quality of profession..." as it is said in A) Strategic Planning, being Education the first and, perhaps, the fundamental basement of quality.

In the same paragraphs of the Council's work plan, that is in Introduction B&C, Management A), B) and C) is based the creation of the "Liaison Groups", although this proposal is explained inside "Other Activities".

As an additional comment to the "Liaison Groups", nearly all of them are focussed in the third world, where the FIG action is more necessary and of benefit for many more people, appears, with special emphasis, actions to be carried on in Latin America. Th special focus in South America is needed because:

• Latin America has a very limited representation in FIG, although they are more than 20 countries in the region.
• Latin America can be considered the continent of the future.
• In some Latin American countries there are good theoretical educational institutions in surveying (unfortunately same cannot be said about their surveying instruments), and in some others there is not at all or very limited facilities in this field, which makes it necessary for FIG to focus its action to the university level in first stage, and to the professional level thereafter.
• In several paragraphs of the Council's WP it is mentioned the need of "...regional activities in under-represented regions...", "...encouraging University Departments to belong and to contribute to FIG as Academic members...", "...membership expansion focussed on certain regions to be continued...", "encouraging the development for networks between Commissions and within specific geographical zones to enable good educational practice...".
• The fact that the Chair of Commission 2 is Spanish can facilitate better understanding and co-operation with these countries and promote membership of the Latin American surveyors in FIG.

As a result Commission 2 work plan includes many activities in Latin America with the purpose to make FIG known in this continent. The work will be made in close co-operation with the Council keeping in mind that education is the key issue to integrate these countries to the global surveying society. In most cases there is lack for funds for travelling and therefore it is essential to organise some symposia in easily reachable venues. Regional workshops may be a good solution. Commission 2 is interested to have a leading role in organising FIG regional conference in Latin America in co-operation with the Council, other Commissions and FIG office.

Furthermore the Commission will make its contribution to the FIG World Report on Best Practices launched by the Council in its work plan for 2003-2006.

Commission 2 endorses the underlying concept that respect to Cultural and Linguistic issues is very important and that will be sensitive to these issues in the way it works. This will be implemented by encouraging multilingual abstracts and presentations in general meetings and through the use of an appropriate regional language during regional meetings.

Working Group 2.1 - Virtual Academy

Policy issues

• The movement from discrete computer assisted learning (CAL) tools towards an integrated virtual learning environment.
• Technical, political, legal, organisational and cultural problems.
• Copyright and accreditational problems
• The role of the lecturer and human communication in general

Chair

• Chair: Prof. Esben Munk Sørensen (Denmark), e-mail: ems[at]i4.auc.dk

Specific projects

• Information dissemination concerning the virtual academy issues relevant to FIG, by
  • collecting hyperlinks to web sites relevant for distance learning in surveying education and
  • creating an educational database on Internet as it regards respective tools and experiences; and
  • to establish contacts with the Internet/multimedia experts outside FIG

Workshops

Workshops via Internet and, at least, one more in the middle of the term of office. Reports in the WW.

Final report

During the Congress in Munich.

Working Group 2.2 – The Studies of Surveying in Latin America

Policy issues

• To have a good knowledge of the educational situation in this continent
• To create an Educational Thematic Network which could help
• To establish strong links among docent Institutions in Latin America
• To facilitate the free flow and exchange of ideas, projects and people among our docent Institutions
• To facilitate the harmonization of curricula, if such is possible and necessary
• To facilitate a “common educational base”
• To facilitate mobility among professionals, teaching staff and students
• To improve the conditions of our professionals, when and where it is necessary, and increase the work possibilities of our graduates
• This Network is born with spirit of permanence; it is not only an occasional work, studying the state of the art in education in this continent, but being a permanent link among professional and educational Institutions at national and international level
• The final results of this first step will be given in a final report to be spread out in the regional meeting to be held in Latin America in 2005

Chair

• Prof. Graciela Loyácono, School of Surveying, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina); e-mail: loyaconog[at]infovia.com.ar

Workshops

There will be meetings of the Delegates in 2003, 2004.

Final report

To be given during the Regional Meeting to be held in 2005 in Latin America

Publications

The final report will be published in 2005 and spread out among the National and International bodies and Authorities: Governmental, Professional and Educational

Working Group 2.3 - Mutual Recognition

Policy issues

• In the light of the achievements of the Task Force on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (1998-2002), and in order to support the principle of the free movement of surveyors world-wide, the primary aim of the Working Group is:
  • To improve the knowledge and available information about relevant aspects of professional education in order to implement the process of mutual recognition of professional qualifications, with the aim of developing guidelines for implementing FIG policy in this area.

Chair

• Dr. Frances Plimmer (United Kingdom), e-mail: fplimmer[at]hotmail.com

Specific projects

Based on the FIG policy with regard to mutual recognition, the specific objectives of the WG are:

1. to develop in further detail the methodology of implementing mutual recognition, as identified in the work to date of the FIG Task Force on mutual recognition of professional qualifications
2. to investigate the barriers to the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and their solutions
3. to investigate selected case studies which take a "step by step" approach to process of mutual recognition in order to test the WTO "disciplines" for implementing mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

In addition and support to the stated objectives (above), the WG will seek to:

1. investigate the process and criteria used by academic institutions in different countries for the selection of surveying students; and
2. investigate the indicators which demonstrate the quality of surveying education in different countries

Workshops

One during the term of office.

Final report

During the Munich Congress.

Publications

A publication at the end of the term office.

Working Group 2.4 - Knowledge in Spatial Information Management (A Joint Working Group with Commission 3)

Policy issues

• To integrate the resources of the Commissions 2&3 using the experiences of professionals in knowledge transfer and the know-how of spatial information management (SIM)
• To analyse present status and trends of Information/Knowledge Management
• To outline the implementation of the results of Information/Knowledge Management in the Spatial Word
• To define the necessary elements and routes of professional development in the rapidly changing area of SIM

Chair

Prof. Bela Markus (Hungary), e-mail: mb[at]cslm.hu

Workshops

At least one during the term of office

Final report

In the Munich Congress.

Working Group 2.5 - Capacity building in Land Management (A Joint Working Group with Commission 7)

Policy issues

• To study and develop integration of professional and land management projects, especially in developing and transition countries.

Specific projects

• To develop models for this integration
• To do special studies in one developing and one in transition country, where land management projects are being carried out.

Chair

• Prof. Ulf Jensen (Sweden), e-mail: ulf.jensen[at]lantm.lth.se

Workshops

At least one during the term office.

Final report

To prepare a report on experiences from integration of professional education and land management projects to be presented in Munich Congress.

Co-operation with Sister Associations

In order to improve the benefits to members associations and universities, Commission 2 will strongly try to reinforce the links with the similar Commissions in sister organisations like ICA, ISPRS and IGGU.

Co-operation with the United Nations Agencies

In co-operation with the UN Agencies, such as UN-Habitat and FAO it is always necessary to include educational and capacity building issues. Commission 2 is ready to contribute in these projects on the request of the Council in the educational field as necessary for the welfare of people and countries involved.

Other Activities

Strategic Liaison Groups on Education

Objectives

• To establish networks between educational institutions to exchange knowledge, experiences and problems solving ways inside each liaison group
• To establish and maintain strong links among the different surveying departments or institutions facilitating mutual assistance when and where necessary
• To have a better approach to each other from a closer position, not only geographic, but social, historical, economical, etc.
• To develop these liaison groups to a successful mean of facilitating educational work in the universities, departments, etc. inside every group, facilitating, as well, the exchange of professors and students

Structure

• There will be five different liaison groups established based on their geographical, cultural, etc. similarities
• Each group is chaired by a leader named in the following figure
• Chairs are responsible to report directly to the Commission Chair

Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and USA are self-consistent. Nevertheless, because the small number of Departments of Geomatics in the South Pacific countries, Australia and New Zealand are included in the South Pacific Group.

Surveying Studies Portal

Commission 2 will continue, under the leadership of Prof. Kirsi Virrantaus (HTU), the development of a Portal for Surveying Studies, where Universities, Teachers and Students can find the widest and best information about curricula, contents, etc. This Portal will be highly useful for WG 2.1 (Virtual Academy) and 2.2 (Curricula and CPD).

Web site

Collected data will be introduced in the FIG Surveying Education Database and FIG Education Portal; this work will be done in close co-operation and with the help of the FIG office.

Newsletters

Commission 2 will continue to informing its delegates and member associations via Commission newsletter.

Calendar of Events

• October 2002 Symposium in Puerto Rico (Commissions 1 & 2)
• January-March 2003 Symposium in Asia; possible organised in conjunction with the FIG regional conference in Cambodia
• September/December 2003 Symposium in Morocco
• September/December 2004 Symposium in Nigeria
• 2005 Symposium in Latin America in conjunction to FIG Regional Conference
• September/December 2005 Symposium in the South Pacific
• August-September 2006 FIG Congress in Munich

In addition to these events the Commission chair will attend two symposia in Latin America in May 2002: one in Universidad de Concepción (Chile), an Academic member of FIG, and other in Uruguay, organised by the new member association from Uruguay.

Commission 2 is further investigating possibility to organise two further events in Latin America (perhaps in Costa Rica and in Brasil) with the goal to get FIG involved in Central America, where most of countries are without any University with Department of Surveying. The other symposium is planned for equatorial countries (Venezuela, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, etc), bearing in mind that Brasil is not currently member of FIG, with the goal to approach these countries, most of them with very few resources for travelling far away and with special, common and typical social, economic and educational situations.

Commission Officers

Commission Chair

Prof. Pedro J. Cavero
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
Escuela U. de Ingenieria Tecnica Topografica
Campus Sur
Ctra. de Valencia Km. 7
28031 Madrid
SPAIN
Tel: + 34 91 336 79 08
Fax: + 34 91 332 25 60
Email: pjcavero[at]nivel.euitto.upm.es

Commission Chair Elect 2004-2006 and Chair 2006-2010

Prof. Bela Markus, Head
College of Geoinformatics
University of West Hungary
Pirosalma u. 1-3
P.O. Box 52
H-8000 Szekesfehervar
HUNGARY
Tel. + 36 22 516 523
Fax + 36 22 516 521
Email: mb[at]geo.info.hu

Vice-Chair Administration

Prof.  Juan Prieto, Vice Chair of Administration
Prof. of Geodesy. Satellite Positioning Systems, Astronomy and Surveying
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Escuela U. de Ingeniería Técnica Topográfica
Ctra. De Valencia, Km.7
28013 Madrid
SPAIN
Tel. + 34 91 336 64 76
Fax + 34 91 332 25 60
E-mail: jprieto[at]nivel.euitto.upm.es

Chair Working Group 2.1 - Virtual Academy

Chair: Prof. Esben Munk Sørensen (Denmark)
E-mail: ems[at]i4.auc.dk 

Chair Working Group 2.2 - Curricula Models and CPD

Prof. Graciela Loyácono (Argentina)
E-mail: loyaconog[at]infovia.com.ar

Chair Working Group 2.3 - Mutual Recognition

Dr. Frances Plimmer (United Kingdom)
E-mail : fplimmer[at]hotmail.com

Chair Working Group 2.4 - Knowledge in Spatial Information Management 

Prof. Bela Markus (Hungary)
E-mail: mb[at]cslm.hu

Working Group 2.5 - Capacity building in Land Management

Prof. Ulf Jensen (Sweden)
E-mail: ulf.jensen[at]lantm.lth.se

10 July 2002