gSmart News: Dr. Manfred Mittlböck teaching in Kyrgyzstan

With MSc Students of OshTU

Visiting Professor Dr. Manfred Mittlböck from Z_GIS, University of Salzburg is teaching MSc and undergraduate students of Kyrgyz universities within the EM gSmart project. This week he has continued his academic teaching activities in Bishkek, after the initial three weeks of his academic work in Osh city.

Students and junior teachers of OshTU, OSU, KSUCTA and other universities have attended theoretical and practical classes of Dr. Mittlböck on Geodatabases and Distributed Architecture of Geodatabases, as well as WebGIS.  

Lectures at KSUCTA

EM gSmart project under review

The gSmart project office in Salzburg is welcoming Associate Professor Huaan Fan from KTH in Stockholm as external expert. He is currently monitoring the quality of the project management with a focus on collaboration amongst partners and outcomes, particular referring to mobilities and scholarships of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship mobility project. (>> gSmart project)

UNIGIS professional Certificate for Nagima Alimbekova

Prof Strobl congratulating Nagima Alimbekova,
supported by ACA*GIScience co-director and
Geoinformatics department chair Akylbek Chymyrov

During today's visit to ACA*GIScience at KSUCTA in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Prof Josef Strobl awarded the UNIGIS professional postgraduate certificate to Ms Alimbekova. She has successfully completed all curricular requirements for this distance learning program at the University of Salzburg and now received the title 'Academic Geoinformatics Specialist'.

UNIGIS is offering international, fully accredited and widely recognized qualifications to geospatial professionals around the world. Based on standard curricula and supervised by experienced instructors, the UNIGIS MSc and certificate programs are highly appreciated across the geospatial industries, in academia and public administration. UNIGIS programs offered in Central Asia are coordinated by Dr Ainura Nazarkulova from Salzburg University's Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS.

Completing this postgraduate qualification via online distance learning is a particular challenge in not always perfectly well connected countries, and in parallel to full professional activities. We congratulate Nagima Alimbekova to her success and appreciate her view: "I already can fully apply all I have learned with UNIGIS in my new job at the ministry of agriculture, managing the mapping of pastures in Kyrgyzstan's mountains"!

Good Bye Dr. Sabine Hennig!

Dr. Sabine Hennig from Z_GIS, University of Salzburg has finalized her Post-Doc visit at ACA*GIScience in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Her teaching and research activities have been supported by the Erasmus Mundus gSmart project from February to August 2016. During her stay in Kyrgyzstan Dr. Sabine Hennig was teaching GIS classes for undergraduate and postgraduate students, assisted with research work of young scientists and participated in the several international project activities. She has actively contributed to the development and teaching of advanced Geoinformatics courses. 

We express our sincere thanks to  Dr. Sabine Hennig for her contributions to geospatial education and science in Kyrgyzstan as well as for her kind attention to students and young scientists. We wish good health and every success in her academic activities at her home university. Our thanks also extend to the Erasmus Mundus Project "gSmart - Spatial ICT Infrastructures for Smart Places" for the support of international teachers and student mobility! 

Prof.Dr. Geoffrey Hennebry, USA at ACA*GIScience

Prof. Dr. Geoffrey Hennebry from the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University visited  ACA*GIScience on July 21, 2016.

Prof. Hennebry presented his research project "Land Surface Phenologies in Central Asian Mountain Pastures", which is under realization in cooperation with the International University of Kyrgyzstan. This project is built upon very interesting geospatial components, and young scientists of ACA*GIScience @KSUCTA will participate in international research and capacity building activities within this project framework.

Interactive and dynamic maps on gSmart mobilities

Ainura Nazarkulova, now based at the University of Salzburg,  has prepared several maps providing an overview of gSmart applications, grant awards and detailed statistics of Central Asia to Europe mobility within the Erasmus Mundus scholarship mobility project.
These interactive and dynamic maps now have been packaged into an app which is accessible via  >>> http://arcg.is/1sEBB5H

You can get more information on the gSmart project running between July 2013 and July 2017 on the Website!

GI_Forum 2016 Publication online

Free access to GI_Forum and Poster publication!

>> GI_Forum 2016 Publication online

>> GI_Forum Poster online

>> www.gi-forum.org

gSmart scholars presenting research at GI_Forum 2016

Join the GI_Forum in Salzburg to explore the research work of gSmart scholars. Dana Kaziyeva, Jafar Niyazov, and Tahmina Sodatkadamova are presenting their projects in the poster session at the GI_Forum and AGIT. Poster discussion starts on Wednesday July 6, 2016 at 6:30pm.

>> Dana Kaziyeva
>> Jafar Niyazov
>> Tahmina Sodatkadamova

GI_Forum, July 5 - 8, 2016 at the University of Salzburg

10th Central Asia GIS Conference - GISCA 2016!

The 10th GIS-in-Central-Asia Conference - GISCA 2016 was held April 28-30 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan! GIS scientists, educators and professionals from Central Asian countries, Europe, China and other regions exchanged ideas and experiences on geospatial education, research and applications. 

GISCA 2016 has been organized by the I.Arabaev Kyrgyz State University and Austria-Central Asia Centre for GIScience (ACA*GIScience) jointly with the Research Centre for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (RCEECA - Bishkek), the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography CAS, the Institute of Geology NAS KR and the OeAW Commission for GIScience. 

The conference has been supported by Trimble, RCEECA, ESRI and additional sponsors from the Geoinformatics industry. In 2016, GISCA focused on the theme of "Green Spaces: Perspectives and Designs" and a large number of research papers were presented, leading to fruitful discussions and meetings organized throughout the conference.

EPU Delegation at ACA*GIScience

The president of the Eurasia-Pacific Uninet Prof. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Rausch and Prof. Dr. Alfred Pitterle (BOKU, Vienna) have visited the N.Isanov Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transport and Architecture (KSUCTA) on March 30, 2016. The rector of KSUCTA Prof. Dr. Akymbek Abdykalykov expressed his appreciation for the valuable support of EPU facilitating academic mobility of university students and teachers as well as a long term successful cooperation with Austrian universities. Prof. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Rausch highlighted the successful activity of the Austria-Central Asia Centre for GIScience (ACA*GIScience) established at KSUCTA jointly with the Interfaculty Department of GIS (Z_GIS), University of Salzburg in May 2008 with financial support from Eurasia-Pacific Uninet. 

Ongoing activities and future project plans were discussed in the meeting at ACA*GIScience. An extensive overview of the academic and research activities of the Centre was presentated by its co-director Dr. Akylbek Chymyrov. The results of international projects realized within TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus, Volkswagen Foundation, CRDF and other programs and the upcoming 10th GIS in Central Asia Conference - GISCA 2016 demonstrate the increasing potential of ACA*GIScience in close cooperation with European and Central Asian partner universities. Prof. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Rausch has expressed his ideas on the future support from EPU in order to strenghten international cooperation in Geoinformation sciences. 

Dr. Sabine Hennig now teaching at KSUCTA

The National Erasmus+ Office coordinator Ms. Gulnara Chokusheva has highlighted the importance of Post-Doc mobility of European scientists to the Kyrgyz universities during her meeting with Dr. Sabine Hennig, an EM gSmart project fellow at KSUCTA. Ms. Chokusheva has visited KSUCTA on April 16, 2016 and participated in the kick-off meeting of new Erasmus+ project "KyrMedu". 

Lectures and lab classes during the current semester taught by Dr. Hennig for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as her scientific advice and assistance to young scientists are in high demand. She is offering WebGIS and other advanced GIS courses to students and teachers. Dr. Hennig is encouraging students and trainees to explore new GIS and Remote Sensing methods. New research proposals are currently under discussion in order to develop new project proposals jointly with Z_GIS and other partner universities within the EM gSmart project.

Welcome at ACA*GIScience!

Dr. Sabine Hennig from Z_GIS, University of Salzburg has started her Post-Doc teaching and research mobility at ACA*GIScience supported by the EM gSmart project.

She has planned intensive research activities as well as offering training to undergraduate and graduate students and young scientists at KSUCTA and other Kyrgyz partner universities over the period from February to August 2016. We wish her a successful and enjoyable stay in Kyrgyzstan and look forward to continuing and extending the fruitful academic and research cooperation between Central Asia and Europe!

GISCA 2016 @Bishkek - 2nd Call for Papers

This year's conference is scheduled for April 28-30 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with all details available from the conference website at http://gisca16.aca-giscience.org.

GISCA in 2016 is focused on the theme of "Green Spaces: Perspectives and Designs" and invites contributions covering basic and applied research, case studies as well as educational topics across the entire domain of Geoinformatics. Please refer to the current Call for Papers!

Welcome to GISCA 2016: April 28-30 in Bishkek, Kg

The annual ‘GIS in Central Asia’ Conference' - GISCA 2016 now has opened the Call for Papers and registration. The conference is scheduled for April 28-30 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. In 2016, GISCA is focused on the theme of "Green Spaces: Perspectives and Designs". The deadline for submission of paper abstracts is February 28, 2016 by email to the address: gisca16@aca-giscience.org
 

GISCA 2015 Proceedings now published and available

The final edited volume of GISCA 2015 Proceedings (May 14-16, Tashkent) now is published and freely available from the conference website http://gisca15.aca-giscience.org

Or, just follow this link directly!

'gSmart' Master's Thesis defense at the University of Salzburg

Congratulations! Aigerim Mussayeva successfully defended her Master's thesis entitled 'Online Atlas for Central Asia' supervised by Dr. Manfred Mittlboeck, on January 13, 2016. Prototype 'OAOA Atlas' elements developed for this thesis can be accessed online at www.caatlas.com.


Many congratulations from the gSmart project office, we are very proud since Aigerim is the first gSmart scholar graduating from a full degree program! Her study experience can be sampled from her e-portfolio documenting some highlights of her study period at the University of Salzburg, Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics (International MSc AGI).