The Brighton Congress represents the highlight - and the end - of the four year work plan of Commission 2. The period since the Singapore meeting last year has therefore been focused on summing up the results of the working groups and preparing for presentation of a high quality programme at the Congress in Brighton.
1. Working Groups
WG 2A. Continuing Professional Development.
The working group has completed its work by issuing the FIG
publication no 15 October 1996. The publication has been very
well received and has been interpreted into a number of
languages. The focus is now on the implementation and provision
of CPD. These issues are addressed at the Commission 2 sessions
in Brighton will be further developed through the next period of
office.
WG 2B. Management Skills, Chair: Prof. Chris Hoogsteden,
NZ.
The working group has produced papers for discussion at the
working weeks in Buenos Aires and Singapore, and a special
session is planned for the Brighton Congress. Here, the final
report will be presented and further steps will be taken towards
preparing a number of relevant case studies in the management
area. The working group will prepare a final draft for a FIG
publication on Management Skills for adoption at the PC meeting
in South Africa 1999.
WG 2C. Exchange of Personnel and Students.
The working group is abolished and the issue is dealt with
partly through the efforts of implementing effective concepts of
CPD, and partly through promotion of the Surveying Education
Database. The whole issue of international exchange will also be
addressed through the FIG task force on Mutual Recognition of
Qualifications as proposed by the FIG Bureau.
WG 2D. Quality Assurance, Chair: Prof. Peter Morgan, UK.
The working group has conducted a survey on concepts of
Quality Assurance, and a number of papers have been produced for
discussion at the FIG working weeks and further developed at the
Commission 2 symposium in Helsinki. A special session on Quality
Assurance is planned for the Brighton Congress and a final draft
for a FIG publication on "Quality Assurance and its
Applicability to Surveying Education" is prepared for
adoption by the PC in Brighton.
WG 2E. Computer Assisted Learning, Chair: Prof. Kirsi
Artimo, SF.
The working group has conducted a comprehensive survey on
the use of CAL in surveying education. The results were presented
at the Commission 2 workshop in Helsinki, and a special session
on CAL is prepared for the Brighton Congress. The issues of CAL,
Multimedia, WWW and Distance Learning will form a focus point for
the future policies of Commission 2.
2. Surveying Education Data Base
The database was launched at PC meeting in Singapore, and a
flyer was disseminated to encourage all FIG member countries to
join the database in order to facilitate international exchange
and co-operation. The database has been very well received.
However, the updating procedures are vital and ideally each
institution should be responsible for updating their own data.
This should ensure the actuality and validity of the data. The
commission is currently fighting to solve this technological
problem.
3. Support of Developing Countries
Following the FIG working week in Singapore the Commission
chairman visited Sri Lanka and supported the efforts of the
Surveyors´ Institute of Sri Lanka to establish a surveying
education at university level. The outcome was very positive in
the sense that a bachelor course is now established with a high
intake of students. The provision of institutional support in
this case was a strong means and therefore should be worthwhile
to pursue in the future.
4. Participation and Collaboration
Commission Chairman and officers participated in the XVI
North American Surveyors´ Teachers Conference, Las Cruces, June
1997. Commission 2 is a permanent invitee to these important
events which provide an excellent platform to promote the
commission 2 activities as well as FIG in general. It is
recommended that these events held every second year should be
developed as a permanent commission 2 platform. Commission
chairman also participated in the iKUSASA seminar, Durban, August
1997, and promoted the Commission 2 policies.
5. The Brighton Congress
Commission 2 has prepared a high profile programme for the
Brighton Congress. There will be session dedicated to each of the
four working groups. Furthermore there will be sessions dedicated
to general issues for discussing educational policies and
strategies of Commission 2. There will be a number of joint
sessions (with commission 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7) and there will be
small group sessions for discussing national developments within
surveying education. In total 35 papers will be presented which
is the largest Commission 2 has ever organised for a Congress.
6. Forthcoming Events
Commission 2 will organise a seminar at Wuhan Technical
University of Surveying and Mapping, P.R.China, October 14-16,
1998. The seminar is entitled "Curricula, Teaching Methods
and Quality Systems" and will provide an excellent
opportunity to promote the development of surveying education in
South East Asia.
May 1998
Stig Enemark
Chairman of FIG Commission 2
Last modified: June 1998