Month: October 2017

EU ERASMUS+ project 15.10.2017-14.10.2020

Geospatial Science (GISc) is a new science, however, has its roots thousands of years. It integrates three traditional geosciences (firstly, geodesy as the science of precise spatial data acquisition; secondly, geography as the science of studying human and physical aspects; finally, cartography as the science of making maps. The integration of these sciences is based on the rapidly evolving computer science. The methods of GISc are widely applied in other sciences, essential in decision making for sustainable development.

The wider aim of the project is to support Uzbekistan in sustainable development by GISc. The objectives envisaged with the project is to establish a missing puzzle from the Uzbek educational system after the MSc level has been completed and before the DSc is targeted. The proposal offers a programme and methods to bridge the gap.

Specific Project Objectives:

• Develop new doctoral programme, innovative doctoral courses and methodologies, supporting continuing professional development on the applications in geoinformatics.
• Build advanced ICT-based learning and research environment, strengthening the relations between higher educational institutions (HEIs) and research institutions (RIs).
• Enhance the scientific level of academic and research staff at UZ partner universities in the field of geoinformatics.
• Orientate UZ scientists into interdisciplinary geoinformation science in geospatial doctoral studies and research.
• Improve involvement of UZ academic staff and doctoral candidates in geoinformation sciences into world-wide scientific community, strengthening internationalization of HEIs/Ris.

The outputs are as follows

• an international network in GISc;
• an accredited Doctoral Programme;
• education capacity at HEIs to deal with the above mentioned problems;
• e-learning platform with a joint, co-operative knowledge pool;
• glossary of geospatial terms, containing definitions in Uzbek, helping interdisciplinary communications;
• research capacity: research labs, and a Joint Research Centre for the interdisciplinary applications in UZ;
• annual GI conferences aiming multiplier effects

There are several challenges in UZ, where GISc may efficiently support solutions, for such issues as climate change, land degradation, heavy use of agrochemicals, diversion of huge amounts of irrigation water from the two main rivers of the region, water scarcity, the chronic lack of water treatment, e.g. Aral Sea, or the growing threat to air quality. UZ society will benefit from innovations to enhance quality, performance and interactivity of public services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to improve contact between citizens and government.

DSinGIS will serve doctoral candidates with high quality GISc sw/hw in the project timeframe and beyond. We implement online learning infrastructure as a common platform, including supervisors. Learning materials will be shared from a joint, co-operative knowledge pool, which will contain 18 PhD course (10 Uzbek language and 8 English). The infrastructure will host a Learning Management System (Moodle). The online-facilitated intellectual capability will be built across all network partners

Partners

• Obuda University, Hungary
• Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Austria
• Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm, Sweden
• Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Halle, Germany
• Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration (TIIAME) Tashkent, UZ
• National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulug’bek (NUU), Tashkent, UZ
• Karakalpak State University named after Berdakh (KSU) Nukus, UZ
• Samarkand State Architectural and Civil Engineering Institute (SamSACI) Samarkand, UZ
• Tashkent Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering (TIACE) Tashkent, UZ

Associated partners

• State Committee of Republic of Uzbekistan om Land Resource, Tashkent, UZ
• Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education (MHSSE) Tashkent, UZ
• Supreme Attestation Commission under the Cabinet of Ministers, Tashkent, UZ

Budget: 992 169 EUR

EU ERASMUS+ project 15.10.2017-14.10.2020

The EU space strategy in the document “2016 Communication on a Space Strategy for Europe” fosters the uptake of space techniques applications. “The Commission’s aim is to optimise the benefits that space brings to society and the wider EU economy. Achieving this means boosting demand among public and private users, facilitating access to and use of space data, and stimulating the development and use of innovative downstream applications.” The demand is in line with the practice observed in the field of Remote Sensing (RS), which has wide range of potential applications unused.

The wider objective of the project is to develop an innovative learning platform, a Learning Management System (LMS) for Asian countries, China and Thailand, which has already relevant activity in the field of RS. Though the content of the proposed LMS would not correspond to any level of tertiary level education, it is basically planned to be developed for meet MSc standards to BSc of related disciplines to RS.

More specifically it is planned by improving the related education
1) by establishing LMS at each Asian universities,
2) by creating a Knowledge Pool of high level eLearning teaching materials for a wider scientific and engineering community, and
3) by organizing workshops, a trainings and a summer school for the teaching staff and students.

Specific Project Objectives:

1. To ensure researchers and academic staff in RS and geospatial sciences for studies integrated into world-wide sustainability academia (research) community
2. To strengthen and integrate RS and geospatial science into Multi-Inter-Trans-Cross- Disciplinary sustainability studies and research of Socio-Ecological Systems
3. To enhance the role of Asian institutions in socio-ecological systems studies and researches for the benefit of Asian region
4. To promote internationalization on the relevant knowledge areas
5. To enhance international cooperation between EU and Asian universities and research institutes

The promotion of the professional development of staff and youth workers in the field of remote sensing and related interdisciplinary sciences is planned to be implemented in the form of a Learning Management System, which makes use of recent advancements of ICT methodologies and technologies. Transversal skills, e.g. digital competences, or in general, 21th century skills are developed by the proposed education form, i.e. a practical remote teaching in a true multi-organizational collaboration.

The proposed LMS would host 20 newly developed modules on remote sensing in the curricula of participating universities, improving the quality of higher education, delivering a background for studying the practical use of the remote sensing techniques. This would by time enhance the practical use of remote sensing on a wide range of applications serving the labour market and society. The competences and skills in the participating HEIs will be developed by the use of these learning modules.

The LMS proposed to be developed at 4 Asian universities would serve the practical applicability of remote sensing data for wide range of disciplines (including different tasks of Environmental protection, Agriculture, forestry and fishery, Physical sciences, Engineering and engineering trades, Transport services, Security services). The aim of the LMS is to foster the uptake of remote sensing applications to boost the benefits that space brings to society and the wider economy.

Partners
1) Obuda University, Hungary
2) University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria
3) Jagiellonian University, Poland
4) University of Twente, Netherlands
5) Fujian Normal University, China
6) Yunnan Normal University, China
7) Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
8) Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Budget: 990044 EUR