[OSGeo-Discuss] Abstract, please look at.

[Delfos, Jacob]

Hi All,

I think there would be a significant benefit to having some framework
for academic initiatives, which would provide things like:

- Universities being able to advertise research programs in order to
fill in research positions
- Students being able to advertise research proposals (candidacies) to
find a university willing to take on their research
- Students / universities being able to gain financial support for
research initiatives from organisations that could benefit from the
research
- University Professors / Doctors offering their service as
supervisor/co-supervisor
 
I think this would help significantly in making academic efforts
contribute to OS development. I also noticed that good research is
currently being picked up by major industry bodies, in order to
disappear behind large price tags. I've just started a PhD (which will
be based heavily on OS, including Mapserver), and would much prefer my
research being able to contribute to OS, rather than becoming someone
else's property to sell.

Regards,

Jacob





> -----Original Message-----
> From: Helena Mitasova [mailto:hmitaso at unity.ncsu.edu] 
> Sent: 23 February 2006 02:57
> To: discuss at mail.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Abstract, please look at.
> 
> It is encouraging to see the live discussion on the topic
> related to academic invovlment, so here are some notes based on many
> years of work with students on GRASS development and applications:
>  
> 
> - the first thing that we could probably do is to set-up an 
> annual OSGeo 
> prize for the best student work in two or more categories
> (e.g.,  development work, applications) - it can be awarded at
> the annual conferences but should go beyond travel support for
> attending the meeting
>  
> 
> - I found that developers and users list are good for students
> to connect - I usually ask them to subscribe,
>  
> 
> - regarding dissemination of students work, for GRASS it can be
> either put into Add-ons or, if they are working with the core
> developers (as mentioned above developers lists are a good place
> to get to know them) and code is important, it gets into CVS and
> eventually into release.
>  
> 
> - we may need to overcome the perception that to find a job
> in geospatial industry, government or academia you need to know
> proprietary systems and you won't get anywhere if you know OSGeo 
> software: the proposed job list will be great for this and 
> students can 
> even compete for smaller jobs that fit with their academic work
> to earn some extra money or take a bigger job and work with their
> advisor to make it into PhD thesis. I have a long list of projects
> that need to be done and could be done as a semester class project,
> Masters or PhD - but funding may not be always available;
>  
> 
> - let us not create another committe - we can expand
> the focus of curricullum committe to education in general -
> that would cover curricullum, academia, tutorials, books etc.
> 
> Helena
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Helena Mitasova 
>                                                    Department 
> of Marine, 
> Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
> North Carolina State University
> Raleigh, NC 27695-8208
> http://skagit.meas.ncsu.edu/~helena/