From warmerdam at pobox.com Tue May 15 10:45:49 2012 From: warmerdam at pobox.com (Frank Warmerdam) Date: Tue May 15 10:50:15 2012 Subject: [OSGeo-Announce] First African Open Source Geospatial Laboratory Message-ID: <4FB26C1D.3000602@pobox.com> The first African open source geospatial laboratory, under the auspices of the ICA-OSGeo Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was recently established at the Centre for Geoinformation Science (CGIS) at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. CGIS engages in open-source research for geospatial software and data, either using open-source geospatial software and data as tools in research, or contributing to the software and data through research. Open source software and data are also used in formal tertiary education and continued education courses at the university. Other research themes in CGIS are forensic geography; space geodesy, earth and atmospheric observation; and spatial data infrastructures. CGIS is led by Dr Serena Coetzee who is looking forward to receiving Prof Georg Gartner, President of the ICA, and Arnulf Christl, President of OSGeo, at the CGIS later this year when they will be in South Africa as keynote speakers at the GISSA Ukubuzana 2012 conference in Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg. In 2011, the International Cartographic Association (ICA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Open-source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) with a view to develop global collaboration opportunities for academia, industry and government organisations in the field of open-source GIS software and data. The MoU aims to provide expertise and support for the establishment of Open-source Geospatial Laboratories and Research Centres across the world to support the development of open-source geospatial software technologies, training and expertise. The goal is to establish five laboratories in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Australasia during the first phase. These will act as nodes for future expansion. The MoU also aims to provide support for building up and supporting the development of open-source GIS teaching and training materials, and the joint organisation of open-source GIS events and workshops through the ICA network in order to encourage wider participation globally. For more information please contact Dr Serena Coetzee (serena.coetzee@up.ac.za). Centre for Geoinformation Science: http://www.up.ac.za/cgis International Cartographic Association: http://www.icaci.org Open Source Geospatial Foundation: http://www.osgeo.org MoU between ICA and OSGeo: http://www.osgeo.org/node/1230 GISSA Ukubuzana 2012 conference: http://www.eepublishers.co.za/article/gissa-ukubuzana-2012.html From warmerdam at pobox.com Fri May 25 00:45:03 2012 From: warmerdam at pobox.com (Frank Warmerdam) Date: Fri May 25 00:46:12 2012 Subject: [OSGeo-Announce] First Open Source Geospatial Laboratory in South America Message-ID: In 2011, the International Cartographic Association (ICA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) with the aim to developing global collaboration opportunities for academia, industry and government organisations in the field of open source GIS software and data. The MoU aims to provide expertise and support for the establishment of Open Source Geospatial Laboratories and Research Centres across the world to support the development of open source geospatial software technologies, training and expertise. We are now pleased to announce about the Open Source Geospatial Lab initiative in South America. After the successful establishment of Open Geospatial Labs in Europe, Asia and Africa , we are happy to have the first such initiative in South America being established at the Federal University of Parana in Brazil. Federal University of Paran? is regarded as the oldest Brazilian university. Details at http://www.ufpr.br/portalufpr/ The Open Geospatial Lab at Federal University of Paran? will be led by Prof. Silviana Comboin . ?Silviana has strong research background in Geospatial Science, SDI and GI standards. Previously she was working at the Brazilian National Mapping Agency before moving to Federal University of Paran? as a professor at the Geomatics Department. She also coordinate the Standards Workgroup of the Brazilian NSDI (INDE). She also have a strong team and action plan in place for building this initiative for Brazil and South America. The initial team of Open Geospatial Lab at UFPR will comprise of Prof. Dr. Luciene S. Delazari ,Prof. Dr. Maria Cecilia B. Brandalize , Prof. Dr. Claudia Robbi Sluter , Andr? Luiz Alencar de Mendon?a and ?Gisele Canova (IBGE - Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). We are working to expand this ICA-OSGeo initiative (http://www.osgeo.org/node/1230) globally in our aim to bring the benefits of geospatial technology to all. If you are interested in establishing Open Source Geospatial Lab at your university and build research and teaching collaborations please contact Suchith Anand (Suchith.Anand@nottingham.ac.uk)