Dear Colleague,

Welcome to the FIG e-Newsletter which brings you latest information about the FIG and its activities. The information referred here is in full length available on the FIG web site. Thus the e-Newsletter is produced to inform you what has happened recently and what interesting things are going to take place in the near future. The FIG e-Newsletter is circulated by e-mail monthly. The referred articles are in English and written in a way that you are able to extract them to your national newsletters or circulate to your members.

Article of the Month - November 2003

FIG has started to publish the Article of the Month. This is a high-level paper focusing on interesting topic to all surveyors. It can be picked up from an FIG conference or another event.

The Article of the Month in November 2003 is Prof. Heinz Rüther's paper "The Situation of Geomatics Education in Africa - An Endangered Profession". This paper has been invited as a keynote paper to the 2nd FIG Regional Conference in Marrakech, Morocco, December 2-5, 2003. It will also work as a background paper for the Special Round Table on Surveying/GIS Education in Africa which will be arranged December 2, 2003 in Marrakech. The FIG Council encourages members, especially in Africa, to read this paper and to make their comments either in the Round Table or to send them in advance to the FIG office, if you are not able to attend the conference. You can get the article from:

http://www.fig.net/figtree/pub/monthly_articles/november_2003/ruther_november_2003.htm

"Urban-Rural Inter-relationship for Sustainable Environment" - the 2^nd FIG Regional Conference in Marrakech, Morocco, December 2-5, 2003

The 2^nd FIG Regional Conference will be held in Marrakech Morocco in December, co-sponsored by several FAO, UNEP, UN-HABITAT and UN ECA and several other partners. The conference is organised under the high patronise of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI with high level keynote speakers from Morocco, the Arabic region and overseas. The programme including 3 plenary sessions and 24 technical sessions with more than 120 papers has been confirmed and posted on the conference web site: http://www.fig.net/figtree/morocco/technical_program.htm

-          On-line registration is available at: http://64.78.57.218/fig/regform.asp

-          More information: http://www.fig.net/figtree/morocco/

-          The conference in Marrakech will be both professionally and socially one that should not be missed. See pictures from Marrakech at:
http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/morocco_visit_october.htm

Round Table on Surveying Education in Africa, Marrakech, Morocco, December 2, 2003

In conjunction to the Regional Conference in Marrakech, FIG will organise a Round Table meeting on Surveying/Geomatics Education in Africa and the Arab countries. This special meeting will be chaired by Prof. Holger Magel, President of FIG and all member associations in the Arab countries and Africa are invited to send a representative to this important meeting.

Nominations for FIG Vice Presidents and Commission Chairs (Chairs Elect)

Members are reminded that deadline for nominations for two Vice Presidents for term of office of 2005-2008 and for the next Commission Chairs Elect 2004-2006 (that will automatically be Commission Chairs 2006-2010) is 23 November 2003.
Read more: http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/vp_nominations_2003.htm

FIG Working Week in Athens, Greece, May 22-27, 2004

The theme of the FIG Working Week 2004 is "The Olympic Spirit in Surveying". More information about the conference is available at: www.fig2004.gr. The Call for papers is available at www.fig.net/figtree/ww2004. Deadline for abstracts is 10 December 2003.
The technical conference will be held during three days, each day starting with a plenary session with invited papers. Papers are requested to 27 technical sessions that will run three in parallel. The topics of the sessions are selected in the way that they cover interest of several commissions promoting multi-professional approach. They also vary from policy issues to technical papers on the latest technology and to interesting case studies all over the world. Totally 100-150 papers from about 50 countries are expected.

1^st FIG International Symposium on Engineering Surveys for Construction Works and Structural Engineering, Nottingham, United Kingdom, June 28 - July 1, 2004

This Symposium is organised by FIG Commission 6 and hosted by the Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy, University of Nottingham. The Symposium includes a workshop "Measurements and Analysis of Cyclic Deformations and Structural Vibrations". Second Announcement and Call for papers is available at http://www.fig.net/figtree/nottingham

News this month

-          President Magel attends the 75th Anniversary of the Land Surveyors Association in Jamaica in October 2003

http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/jamaica/jamaica_2003.htm

-          ISO TC211 Meets in Berlin in October 2004 - Book on ISO Standards for Geographic Information and Special Workshop at the Working Week in Athens

http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/standards_berlin.htm

-          EuroSDR (OEEPE) Seminar of Honour "From OEEPE to EuroSDR, 50 years of Spatial Data Research and beyond" in Munich, Germany October 16, 2003

http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/EuroSDR_munich_2003.htm

-          IAG President Beutler visits FIG Office

http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/iag_2003.htm

-          FIG participates the Second International Seminar on GIS in Bogotá, Colombia, September 24-26, 2003

http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/colombia_2003.htm

2^nd Cadastral Congress and Commission 7 Annual Meeting 2003, Krakow, Poland September 18-21, 2003

The 2nd Cadastral Congress in Krakow was organised by the Association of Polish September 18-21, 2003. The title of this conference was "Cadastre reliable for civil and social services". The conference was organised in co-operation with FIG Commission 7 and it was linked to Commission 7 annual meeting 2003. Proceedings from the Commission 7 Annual Meeting are available at:

http://www.fig.net/figtree/commission7/krakow_2003/program.htm

Proceedings of the 11^th FIG Symposium on Deformation Measurement in Santorini

Proceedings of the 11^th FIG Symposium on Deformation Measurements are now available at: http://www.fig.net/figtree/commission6/santorini/

Intergraph grant programme

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions, a Corporate Member of FIG, will offer grants to FIG members in collaboration with FIG. Information at:

http://www.fig.net/figtree/news/news_2003/intergraph.htm

Personalia and Visits

A new service has been opened on the FIG web site. This "personalia" page includes information about new appointments and positions in FIG member associations and other organisations that are of interest to FIG and its members. You can read the latest news at:

http://www.fig.net/figtree/personalia/index.htm

3^rd FIG Regional Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, October 3-7, 2004

-          Organised by FIG, Ikatan Surveyor Indonesia and Bakosurtanal

-          Web site will be soon available at www.fig.net

For additional FIG and FIG Commission events see always up-to-date information at: http://www.fig.net/figtree/events/events.htm.

For further information have a look at www.fig.net

Markku Villikka

FIG Office

Lindevangs Alle 4

DK-2000 Frederiksberg

Denmark

Tel. + 45 38861081

Fax + 45 3886 0252

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