Thanks for contributions to a successful GISCA 2019!

The annual ‘GIS in Central Asia’ Conference - GISCA2019 was successfully completed May 30-June 1 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. GISCA 2019 was organized locally by the the Austria-Central Asia Centre for GIScience - ACA*GIScience at the Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transport and Architecture (KSUCTA) with support from the Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Commission for GIScience and industry partners Trimble International, GeoTwo, Korea and KyrgyzGeoTech LLC. In 2019, GISCA was focused on the theme "From Spatial Data to Spatial Intelligence". Geographic Information Science as a conceptual foundation, Geoinformatics as the methodology and GIS as software technology are powerful instruments for linking information across different sources by location. GISCA 2019 pre-conference workshops were organized for  postgraduate students and young researchers from Central Asian Universities. 

The OpenStreetMap Workshop incl. Mapping Party gave a general introduction to OSM as well as its data structures, incl. the OSM tagging system. Moreover, by the example of an OSM mapping party (field work and computer work), participants could gather experience on editing data in OSM and learn about the relevance of this type of OSM event. The mapping party was focused on the urban green and related infrastructure in Bishkek.

The workshop "Introduction to Drone Aerial Imaging for Mapping and Surveying" covered the fundamentals and principles of aerial imaging to enhance commercial UAS operators’ knowledge in mapping with drones by understanding how to accurately plan and collate this imaging from various UAS platforms and digital sensing techniques. Workshop participants have completed practical exercises in order to produce and present enhanced geospatial products with photogrammetry and GIS applications through classroom and practical-based learning.

The Organizing Committee appreciates the active involvement of all GISCA 2019 participants in the conference activities and invites all interested parties to the next GISCA 2020 planned for June 1-2 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan!

GISCA 2019 conference >>> and workshop >>> photos are available on Google Drive for public access. 

eLearning in Central Asia: Benefits and Challenges

Already more than one decade ago Geo-Informatics (GI) was introduced at Central Asian Universities as a separate subject. Nowadays, Geo-Informatics is a widely recognized and rapidly developing field.

The demand for GI experts is increasing, and thus the need for solid GI education. Currently, the number of experts and students in this domain is very limited compared to existing demand. Of course teaching GI requires substantial computer and connectivity (Internet) resources, trained faculty, the provision of adequate study material and lifelong learning.

To address this situation, the implementation and use of eLearning is slowly gathering interest across Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). Now, what are the benefits and challenges regarding eLearning, particularly considering these countries as former Soviet Union republics? Which recommendations can be given to enjoy the benefits and to face the challenges of eLearning?

For dealing with these questions a survey (directed towards teachers working at Central Asian universities) was conducted. The questionnaire is still open for everyone who is interested and having experience in teaching GI in Central Asia. It is also possible to participate in this survey just following to this link https://surveymonkey.com/r/P8V5RDN.

If you are interested in the results of this survey you are welcome to our conference GISCA´19 (https://gisca2019.wordpress.com).