Newsletter April 2002

8.4.2002

To the National Delegates of Commission 2
To the Academic Members of FIG
To the Corresponding Members

Dear Colleagues

Some of us are soon meeting in Washington during the Congress. This newsletter just reminds you about our technical sessions and Commission meetings, as well as the coming change of the Commission Chair. I also want to tell about the recent work done for the Surveyors Educations Portal.

 XXII FIG International Congress

Washington, DC USA,  April 19 –22, 2002
Marriott Wardman Hotel in Washington.

I have copied some sentences from the invitation letter by Markku Villikka:

“FIG invites you to attend the XXII FIG Congress, April 19-26, 2002 in Washington, DC at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The FIG Congress is held in conjunction with ASPRS-ACSM 2002 Annual Conference and Technology Exhibition. We expect 4,000 participants from nearly 100 countries to attend this major surveying event this year. 

The FIG technical programme includes more than 450 papers in more than 100 technical sessions. Together with the domestic programme which has more than 50 workshops and 160 technical papers - open to all participants. As during all FIG congresses the programme includes several technical tours, social events and social tours in the Washington area. The  "Welcome to Washington Reception" will be held Sunday evening, April 21st, at the National Building Museum from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. There will be a Reception in the Exhibit Hall on Tuesday, April 23rd, from 6:00pm - 8:00 pm.

The FIG General Assemblies will be held on Sunday 21 April and on Friday 26 April. Commission meetings will be held on Monday 22 April before the opening ceremony. Keynote speakers at the opening ceremony will be Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT and Mr. Jack Dangermond, President and Founder of ESRI.

You can register and find the detailed information on the FIG 2002 web site at www.fig2002.com “

Commission 2 Technical Sessions

Commission 2 has organized eight technical sessions with 36 technical papers plus Working group reports.

TS 2.1  Virtual Academy – Case Studies and Experiences, Monday 2.-3.30 pm
TS 2.2  Virtual Academy And Curricula Contents, Monday 4.-5.30 pm
TS 2.3  Teaching and Learning Methods and CPD, Tuesday 11. am -12.30 pm
TS 2.4  Virtual Academy and New Teaching and Learning Methods, Tuesday 2.-3.30 pm
TS 2.5  Surveying Core Curriculum, Tuesday 4.-5.30 pm
TS 2.6  Changes in Curricula, Thursday 11. am –12.30 pm
TS 2.7  Descriptions of Curricula, Thursday 2.-3.30 pm
TS 2.8  Different Aspects in Planning and Implementing Curricula, Thursday 4.-5.30 pm

In addition to these we have joint sessions with Commission 9 on the topics of Education of Valuers and The Task Force for Underrepresented groups on Gender issues. These sessions take place on Wednesday. For more detailed information on the program, please see  the Appendix 1, or the web site mentioned above.

Some information for the Speakers and Session Chairs

All speakers, please contact your Session Chair in time before the Session. Prepare your presentations either in PowerPoint of overhead transparencies. Be well prepared, do not extend your time if not asked. Depending on the amount of papers in each session the presentation time will be between 10 and 30 minutes. Because there always are some “no shows” – it is good if you check the presentation time from the program and then maybe are prepared to speak some more minutes. The main rule can be: 6 presentations in a session – 10 minutes per each; 3 presentations in a session 20 minutes per each.

All session chairs, please meet your speakers in the hall latest 15 minutes before the session, check the “no shows” and make a plan for the session. Be prepared to introduce the speakers briefly. Be also prepared to make at least one question or comment, if no questions come from the audience. Try to keep the schedule.

Speakers ad Session Chairs will get more detailed information via email. Please, do not hesitate to contact me, before the Congress, if you have any questions dealing the presentations.

Commission 2 meetings and Commission Room

We are going to have two Commission meetings during the week. The first one is on Monday  at 9.00 – 10.30 in Balcony D. The second Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday morning 9.00 – 10.30 and will be held most probably in Commission 2 room, Suite 8206. Commission 2 has this room for the whole week. We share it with Commission 8.

The main issues will be in the first meeting the Working group reports. A special issue will be the Surveying Educational Portal, we have made some plans also for the future. The developments until this are reported in Technical Sessions (Virrantaus, Cöltekin) and a project plan has been made. Ms. Arzu Cöltekin has prepared a prototype on SEP – this will also be demonstrated.

The main topic for the second meeting will be the plans for the new period of the new Chair, professor Pedro Cavero. He will discuss the plans with Commission delegates and the incoming Working Group Chairs.

I hope to see as many National Delegates as possible in our meetings and sessions and wish all of you warmly welcome!

I wish you all the best and hope to see as many as possible in Washington!

With best regards

Kirsi Virrantaus