This page includes information about new appointments and
positions in FIG member associations and other organisations that are of
interest to FIG and its members. The second part consists of short news and
pictures of visits by FIG representatives or visits to
the FIG office.
John Neel appointed as General Manager of FIG
 |
Mr. John Neel from Denmark has been appointed to the
General Manager of FIG. John was selected among a range of qualified
candidates. As General Manager he will have complete responsibility
for the management and administration of the FIG Office. John took
his position 1 January 2009 and can be contacted by
email: john.neel@fig.net.
John Neel, 57, has a background in international
banking and consulting, with working experience from
several overseas assignments. His latest international
posting was as head of an EU investment promotion
programme in Kosovo. Prior to that he was head of
Danida’s B-2-B (Business to Business) Programme, first
in Egypt, and then in Kenya. Through most of his career
he has been involved with organisation development,
business expansion, and planning and implementation of
international projects. |
FIG Working Week 2008 Local Organising Committee meets for
the last time
 |
The organising committee of FIG Working Week met
for the last time 28 October in Stockholm to conclude their five
year project. The comments from the participants ranked this working
week among the most successful in the FIG history. The conference
gathered 950 participants from 90 countries to Stockholm in June
2008. The organising committee was chaired by Svante Astermo.
Read more: Report from
the conference. |
Matt Higgins listed among 50 top figures in GNSS
 |
Matt Higgins, FIG Vice President has been
listed by GPS World in the group of 50+ leaders to watch in GNSS
business. The list was published in the May 2008 issue of GPS World.
Read what Matt Higgins is saying.
The full article is also available on
GPS World web site. |
Vice President Ken Allred Elected to
Alberta Legislature
 |
Vice President Ken Allred was elected to the
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta in a general
election on March 3, 2008 as a representative of the Alberta
Progressive Conservative Party. The historic election, elected
Premier Ed Stelmach and 72 Progressive Conservative members,
out of a total of 83 seats in Alberta’s Legislature, with 9 Liberal
members and 2 New Democrats holding the remaining eleven seats. The
Alberta Legislature is the parliament for the province of Alberta,
one of the ten provinces in Canada with a population of 3.5 million
people.
Read more about the
elections. |
FIG Honorary Member, Professor Emeritus Jean-Marie Becker
passed away
 |
Prof. Emeritus Jean-Marie Becker, Honorary
Member of FIG since 2004 and FIG Commission 5 Chair from 1998 to
2002 passed away on 27 October 2007. He was born in 1935 in France.
Becker started his career in the Swedish National Mapping Agency in 1966
and was appointed adjoint Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology
in 1966.
He was the Chair of FIG Commission 5 between 1998 and 2002 and was
appointed FIG Honorary Member in 2004.
Read In Memoriam written by
Lars E Engberg Mikael Lilje
Ulf Sandgren
The Swedish Association of Chartered
Surveyors |
Prof. Holger Magel, Honorary President of FIG, receives the
Bavarian Order of Merit
(Bayerischen Verdienstorden)
|
Prof. Holger Magel and Bavarian Minister President Dr. Edmund
Stoiber |
Prof. Holger Magel received 11 July 2007 the
Bavarian Order of Merit from Dr. Edmund Stoiber, Bavarian
Minister President as recognition for his outstanding services to
Bavaria and to the Bavarian People.
The Bavarian Order of Merit is the highest Order of the Bavarian State
and thus ranking higher than the German Federal Order of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz).
Prof. Magel is the first surveyor in 26 years receiving this Order. |
|
Dr. Edmund Stoiber is thanking Prof. Holger Magel for his
outstanding services to Bavaria and the Bavarian people |
Mrs. Ansi Magel with Holger Magel |
Richard Meyer, Honorary Member
of FIG, passed away 20 February 2007
 |
Richard Meyer, Secretary General of the FIG Bureau during the
first German presidency 1968-1971 and a member of the US led Bureau
1971-1974 - in Germany passed away 20 February 20007. He was born 11
June 1910. The German FIG Council congratulated Meyer
at his 95th birthday in 2005 by saying that thanks to "Richard Meyer's
life-long outstanding engagement for FIG one can really say: Richard
Meyer made FIG well-known in Germany". Due to his multilingual language
skills and his open minded character he has found a lot of friends
worldwide and has brought the German way of surveying and land managing
a good reputation.
In memoriam Richard Meyer (1910 - 2007)
by dr. Andreas Drees. |
Prof. Richard K. Bullard, FRICS Anglia Polytechnic University
passed away
 |
Prof. Richard K. Bullard, FRICS
passed away 25 January 2007. Prof. Bullard was a former national
delegate, appointed by the RICS, to FIG and Secretary of Commission 2
(Professional Education) and also a corresponding member of Commissions
3 (Spatial Information Management) and 7 (Cadastre and Land Management).
He was also representative of the Anglia Polytechnic University,
Academic Member of FIG, to FIG.
Prof. Bullard was working as a Researcher in the Department of the Built
Environment at Anglia Polytechnic University APU and also worked as a
freelance consultant specialising in land related issues. Started his
surveying career in Zimbabwe and worked in 41 countries. Completed
Masters in Engineering by research at the University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and Doctorate at Sheffield University. |
| Worked in many of the activities of surveying including,
cadastral, engineering, land management, photogrammetry, remote sensing,
and topographical survey. He was a Fellow of the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors, and a Fellow of the Survey Institute of Zimbabwe.
The Chair of the Geomatics Faculty Board (2002-2004) at the RICS and a
Member of its Executive. An RICS APC examiner. With the European Faculty
of Land Use and Development and is a Professor in Systemes d'Information
du Territoire. His main interests in consultancy and research included
land reform, land management, land consolidation and coastal zone
management. Particular interest in the multidisciplinary aspects of land
development for countries in transition and those in the developing
world. Is the author of books, chapters and publications in the above
fields of activity. A member of the editorial panel of International
Land Management Series, published by Ashgate Publishing. Richard will be
missed by his wife Pauline and surveyors all over the world. |
Prof. Holger Magel receives the Soldner Medal
|
 |
President Holger Magel received 18 December 2006 the Soldner
Medal from Mr. Kurt Faltlhauser, the Bavarian Minister of Finance
as recognition for his services to Bavaria and as serving as the FIG
President and organising the XXIII FIG Congress in Munich. The medal is
named after Astronomer and Mathematician Johann Georg von
Soldner. Read more about the recognition and award in
German.. |
|
President Holger Magel and Minister Kurt Faltlhauser. |
Mrs. Ansi Magel with Holger Magel and Kurt
Faltlhauser. |
Prof. Holger Magel awarded with a high
Bavarian medal
|
Holger Magel and Alois Glück
©Rolf Poss |
Prof. Holger Magel was awarded 13 December with
a high profile Bavarian medal "Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille".
This silver medal was handed to FIG President Magel by Alois Glück,
President of the Bavarian Parliament. The award was given to the FIG
president and the President of the Bavarian Academy of Rural Areas in
appreciation of his services on developing rural areas and building
civil society through participatory involvement of citizens. The medal
is given by the Bavarian Parliament to persons, who have promoted the
conditions of Bavaria. It belongs to the national honours, which are
lent most rarely in the State of Bavaria.
 |
Prof. Dr hab. inz. Kazimierz Czarnecki passed away
23 August 2006
 |
Prof. Dr hab. inz. Kazimierz Czarnecki,
President of the Association of Polish Surveyors and a long-time leader
of the Polish delegation to FIG passed away 23 August 2006 at the age of
67. Prof. Czarnecki was appointed posthumously as an Honorary Member of FIG
at the FIG Congress in Munich. |
Prof. Willem Baarda, Honorary Member of FIG passed away -
In
Memoriam
 |
Prof. Willem Baarda, Honorary Member of FIG
since 1959 passed away 2 January 2005.
He was born in Leeuwarden 20.7.1917 and died in Delft. On January 2, 2005.
Prof. Baarda was an honorary member of the Netherlands Geodetic
Commission, member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and
Sciences, honorary member of the Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (GB), honorary doctor of the University of Stuttgart. He
received the Levallois Medal of the IAG in 1995. Read
In Memoriam written by Prof.
(em.) Dr.-Ing Wolfgang Torge. |
FIG Working Week 2012 preparations in good progress
 |
FIG Director visited Consiglio Nazionale Geometri e
Geometri Laureati (CNG) in Rome 17-18 November 2009 to prepare the
FIG Working Week in Rome. This will be the first time that a major
FIG event will be organised in Italy since 1960s. During the visit
with President Fausto Savoldi and members of the CNG Council
it became obvious that FIG Working Week in Rome will be a great
experience both from professional and social aspects.
Geom. Antonio Benvenuti, CNG Councillor
(left), Geom. Enrico Rispoli, Hon. Secretary of CNG,
President Geom. Fausto Savoldi, Ms. Maria Scorza,
International Relations and FIG Director at the balcony of CNG in
Piazza Colonna in Rome. |
President Stig Enemark meets with Honorary President Peter
Dale
|
Peter Dale and Stig Enemark. |
President Stig Enemark met with FIG Honorary
President Peter Dale during Stig Enemark's visit to Scotland
in September 2009. Peter Dale was the FIG President 1995-1999. He is
very happy with the current commitment of FIG on contributing to the
Global Agenda to see the way FIG has developed over the years
especially with regard to the current commitment of contributing to
the Millennium Development Goals through cooperation with the UN
agencies and the World Bank. Peter Dale sends his very best regards
and wishes to the FIG community. |
ICES celebrates Royal Charter event in September 2009 and
becomes the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors
(ICES)
|
Charter with ICES President Steve Jackson & CIC Chief
Executive Graham Watts OBE |
The Institution of Civil Engineering
Surveyors, second FIG member association from United Kingdom
celebrated the granting of its Royal Charter and 40 year anniversary
at an event addressed by the Construction Industry Council 10
September 2009.
Graham Watts OBE, Chief Executive of the Construction
Industry Council, who has worked with the Institution for more than
20 years, spoke at the event and guests included representatives
from industry partners including Balfour Beatty, Carillion, RICS,
ICE, Network Rail, Construction Youth Trust and the Olympic Delivery
Authority.
Prior to the celebration, the institution’s advisory solicitor
John Rushton and President Steve Jackson attended the
Crown Office at the House of Lords to collect the Royal Charter.
President Jackson said in his speech that "Securing the Royal
Charter has been a long and exciting journey. The Charter unites our
members all over the world and celebrates their achievements. I’m
looking forward to the future and the Charter is a springboard for
growth as well as a hallmark of excellence. To be able to celebrate
our achievement with so many of our peers is a real honour.”
The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES)
was established in 1969 in order to support the professional
development of surveyors working in the civil engineering industry.
Further information will be made available via the web-site
www.ices.org.uk, and on the new
web-site www.cices.org when it
comes on-line in the next few weeks. |
 |
President Stig Enemark attends the XXI Congress of Nordic
Surveyors in Aalborg, Denmark, 5-7 August 2009
|
President Stig Enemark together with Presidents from the
Nordic associations: Leiv Bjarte Mjoes (NJKF, Norway, left),
Henning Elmstroem (DdL, Denmark), Svante Astermo, Past
President, SLF/ASPECT, Sweden) and Pekka Halme (MIL,
Finland). |
The four-yearly congress of Nordic surveyors was
organised for the 21st time in Aalborg Denmark 5-7 August 2009. The
conference rotates between four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland,
Norway and Sweden) and was this time arranged in the west coast of
Denmark. The keynote address "From Measurement to Management -
Toward a Spatial Enabled Society" was given by FIG President
Stig Enemark. The other sessions discussed digital
administration, preparations to climate change, surveyors' changing
role to advisors and surveyors role in construction projects in
digital era. The Nordic congress has a tradition as a family event
and is held in Scandinavian languages, programme:
http://public.ida.dk/ddl/nl09/fagligtprogram.htm. |
President Stig Enemark visits the Institution of Surveyors
Uganda in July 2009
FIG President Stig Enemark and ISU President
Nathan Behangana. |
President Stig Enemark visited
Uganda in late July 2009. During his visit met Mr.
Nathan Behangana, President of the Institution of Surveyors
Uganda (ISU) and other members of ISU. The institution has three
chapters: Land Surveying; Quantity Surveying; and Valuation
Surveying. In total the institution has 285 members plus 100
students.
During his visit to Uganda for training the trainers in the area
of surveying and land management (a World Bank project), President
Enemark had the opportunity to have a meeting with the ISU that is
currently not a member of FIG. The meeting was attended by around 50
surveyors, and was an excellent opportunity to explain about the
role of FIG and benefits of being a member. ISU is fighting the same
problems as most of their neighbouring countries such as Kenya and
Tanzania. President Enemark is looking forward very much to welcome
the Institution of Surveyors Uganda in the FIG family. |
Meeting with the members of ISU. |
MAKLI in Finland celebrates it 50th Anniversary 23 April
2009
 |
Maanmittausalan
ammattikorkeakoulu- ja opistoteknisten Liitto MAKLI ry, one of
the two member associations from Finland celebrated its 50th
Anniversary in Helsinki, Finland 23 April 2009. The celebration was
highlighted with a reception were key people in MAKLI and partners
were recognised. MAKLI also published a book on the history of the
association. MAKLI represents about 1,200 surveyors that have BSc or
technician education.
Ms. Carola Tiihonen, President of MAKLI and Mr. Pekka
Halme, President of MIL (the Finnish Association of Surveyors)
at the 50th Anniversary reception.
|
FIG Director meets Intergraph and OVG in
Vienna 12 January 2009
|
Johann Jessenk, Intergraph and Gerhard Muggenhuber,
former chair of FIG Commission 3. |
FIG Director visited Vienna 12 January 2009. He met
with first with representatives of the Austrian Society for
Surveying and Geoinformation. The meeting was attended by President
Gert Steinkellner, Reinfried Mansberger and Gerhard
Muggenhuber. At the meeting among actual other issues the FIG
Commission 2 workshop in Vienna in February 2009 was discussed.
The Director together with Gerhard Muggenhuber, former chair of FIG
Commission 3 met also with Johann Jessenk from Intergraph.
Johann is the new focal point for FIG co-operation in Intergraph,
platinum member of FIG. At the meeting a partnership programme for
the next three years was prepared. |
Vice-President Allred Makes Presentation at Lund University
 |
Vice President Ken Allred made a presentation on January 30,
2006 to the students in the Masters program at Lund University in Lund,
Sweden.
Students from the Master of Science in Engineering - Land Surveying
and Management program at Lunds Tekniska Högskola have been active in
FIG over the past several years giving presentation in Paris (2003) and
Athens (2004).
The M.Sc. program at Lund combines geomatics, law and economics to
provide students with a good background in land management. Some of the
specializations students can take in their later years are real estate
economics, land use planning and geomatics. About 50 students, including
a large percentage of female students, are admitted to the program each
year. |
Visit from NSW, Australia to Denmark and FIG Office
|
Visit to the Ministry of Environment: Warwick Watkins (to the left),
Minister Tony Kelly, Niels Østergård,
Stig Enemark and Virginia Knox. |
A delegation from New South Wales, Australia visited Denmark 4-5
July 2005. During the visit delegation visited the Ministry of
Environment and the FIG office to get familiar with FIG and to discuss
the arrangements of FIG Congress 2010 to be held in Sydney. The
delegation was headed by the Hon. Tony Kelly, Minister for Lands
and included Virginia Knox, Chief of Staff, Warwick Watkins,
Director General, Department of Lands, Surveyor General and Registrar
General and Richard Lyons, Director of the Office of Emergency
Services. FIG was represented by Vice President Stig Enemark and
Markku Villikka. During the visit to the Ministry of Environment,
Niels Østergård explained the
visitors the planning system and local governance reform in Denmark. |
FIG President visits Slovenia
 Prof.
Holger Magel, President of FIG visited Slovenia 30 September - 1
October. During the visit he met with Mr. Janez Kopac, Minister of
Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy.
Tomaz Petek, Member of the Executive Committee of the Association of
Surveyors of Slovenia, Bojan Stanonik, M.Sc., M.Sc., President of the
Association of Surveyors of Slovenia., Prof. Holger Magel,
Janez Kopac, M.Sc., Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy
and Bozena Lipej, Ph.D., Deputy Director General of Surveying and
Mapping Authority
FIG receives ESRI "Special Achievement in GIS"
 FIG
received one of this year's ESRI "Special Achievement in GIS". The award was
given to FIG during the ESRI Users' Conference in San Diego in August 2004.
Jack Dangermond, President of ESRI, Markku
Villikka, FIG and Mike Weir, ESRI at the award ceremony.
|
