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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Dear colleagues,</span><br>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Some years ago one of the Nottingham University staff asked me a question when we were talking that I still remember “Is GIS special if everyone becomes GIS Professional? “ I was bit taken back by the question esp. as it came
from an educator and I replied “There is nothing special about GIS if it is for few rich people only but if it the learning opportunities for GIS are made available for everyone it is truly special ... “.</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span></p>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">I was very lucky to get the opportunity to learn GIS. I still remember the struggles</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">I faced to just get access to learning GIS</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">(over two decades back!)</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">as very few universities had GIS that time in India. I spend nearly two years going around different universities and places knocking so many doors to just to get access to GIS . My dream that time was to get opportunity
to do my final year undergraduate project using GIS. Unfortunately in spite of all my best efforts I failed</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> that time </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">. But that experiences made me realise years </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">later
when I did </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">get opportunity to learn GIS that now I need to everything in my abilities to keep the doors of GIS education open to all and no student anywhere should go through what I went through.</span></p>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">When GeoForAll was started , I faced lot of ridicule and opposition from some but I also got lot and lot of amazing support and help from so many amazing colleagues at Nottingham and globally. Thanks to all our amazing colleagues,
we have truly made GIS education opportunities open to all. Please share our resources with all
</span><a href="https://www.osgeo.org/foundation-news/please-share-geoforall-teaching-research-resources-colleagues-students/" class="x_OWAAutoLink" id="LPlnk792692" previewremoved="true"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span></a><a href="https://www.osgeo.org/foundation-news/please-share-geoforall-teaching-research-resources-colleagues-students/" class="x_OWAAutoLink" id="LPlnk889870" previewremoved="true">https://www.osgeo.org/foundation-news/please-share-geoforall-teaching-research-resources-colleagues-students/</a><br>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">I am requesting all colleagues to keep the doors of education opportunities</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">open for all. For me, Openness is not just about open source or open data … It is about the Open mindsets</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> t</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">o help </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">make
education opportunities inclusive to students from all economic and social backgrounds. So</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b>“Is GIS special? “</b></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">
</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">I leave it to you to decide…</span></p>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Best wishes,</span></p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"></span></p>
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<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Suchith</span></p>
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