[OSGeo-Announce] First African Open Source Geospatial Laboratory

[Frank Warmerdam]

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 at 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