Thanks for posting this Suchith. I'm glad that anyone who has a connection with ICA now also has one more excuse to work with OSGeo :)
On 2011-10-18, at 4:46 AM, Suchith Anand wrote: > > > The Open Source Geospatial Foundation and the International Cartographic > Association (ICA) Memorandum of Understanding > Nuremberg, Germany > September 27, 2011 > > The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) and the International > Cartographic Association (ICA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding > with the aim of developing on a global basis collaboration opportunities for > academia, industry and government organizations in 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 for > supporting development of open-source geospatial software technologies, > training and expertise. In the first phase five laboratories will be > established, one each in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Australasia > which will act as nodes for future expansion. It also aims to provide > support for building-up and supporting development of open source GIS > teaching and training materials, joint organization of open source GIS > events, workshops through the ICA network for wider participation globally > etc. > > Professor Georg Gartner, President of the ICA, said "The International > Cartographic Association (ICA) is committed to supporting society and > governments by collaboratively facilitating initiatives and programmes that > establish and grow the capacity to deliver timely, comprehensive and useful > geospatial information. This MoU responds to the challenges and issues > related to the use of open source cartographic and GI software and data. In > considering this response, it is pertinent to note that ICA is interested in > contributing to this initiative, and will champion the advancement of the > initiative through their various individual and collaborative efforts.” > > Arnulf Christl, President of OSGeo, said "The Open Source Geospatial > Foundation (OSGeo) is committed to support and build the highest level Open > Source geospatial technology. It is our pleasure to be able to serve as a > platform and multiplier for the cartographic domain, an area which needs > creativity beyond pure technology. This MoU intends to bridge the gap between > technology and cartographic requirements and we very much look forward to > work with members of the International Cartographic Association to improve > this. A very much hands-on objective of this MoU is to jointly organize > walk-in events where cartographic professionals can access and use a set of > software unencumbered by proprietary restrictions and vendor lock-in. Both > organizations are also interested in supporting young academics by lowering > the barrier to good cartography through collaborative efforts on both sides." > > > OSGeo http://www.osgeo.org/ is a not-for-profit organization founded in > 2006 whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of > open source geospatial technologies and data. > > ICA http://icaci.org/ is the world authoritative body for cartography, the > discipline dealing with the conception, production, dissemination and study > of maps. > > > > On behalf of the ICA Commission on Open Source Geospatial Technologies we > strongly welcome this excellent initiative. This will be landmark opportunity > for both OSGeo and ICA in building up synergies and bringing opportunities > for lots of people worldwide to learn and benefit from geospatial > technologies especially in developing countries. This will build upon the > Open Source Geospatial Lab UK initiative started at the University of > Nottingham. > > We are also pleased to announce that Open Source Geospatial Lab Malaysia is > now being established by Dr. Tuong Thuy Vu in UNMC. Once fully established > this will be the first such facility in Malaysia and will act as focus for > building research and development there. It aims to help create collaboration > opportunities for academia, industry and government organisations in open > source GIS which will help to create and develop opportunities for open > source GIS in Malaysia. > > We are pleased to see many Universities are rapidly following this example > (such as University of Girona in Spain). Over the next few months we will be > building collaborations with key Universities and research organisations > worldwide for the establishment of Open Source Geospatial Research > Laboratories and Research Centres for development of open-source geospatial > software technologies, training, expertise and building up momentum in Open > Source GIS education and research worldwide. > > If you are interested in building research collaboration in Open Source GIS > please contact me. > > Best wishes, > > Suchith > > Dr Suchith Anand > Nottingham Geospatial Institute > Nottingham Geospatial Building > University of Nottingham NG7 2 TU > Tel: (0)115 82 32750 > http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~lgzwww/contacts/staffPages/SuchithAnand/Suchith%20Anand.htm > http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cgs/research/researchareas/opensourcegeospatialresearch.aspx > > http://www.opensourcegis.org.uk/ > http://elogeo.nottingham.ac.uk/ > http://ica-opensource.scg.ulaval.ca/ > > Mission - Building up Open Source, Open Standards, Open Data research for > bridging the digital divide > > > > This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may > contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, > please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. Please do not use, copy > or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. > Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not > necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. > > This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment > may still contain software viruses which could damage your computer system: > you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the > University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation. > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.osgeo.org > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
