EDUCATION IN GEOINFORMATION, GEOMATICS OR SURVEYING ENGINEERING
— A GLOBAL ISSUE
G. Konecny
em. Prof., Institute for Photogrammetry and GeoInformation, University of Hannover
Nienburger Str. 1, 30167 Hannover, Germany - konecny@ipi.uni-hannover.de
Commission VI
KEY WORDS: Education, Surveying, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, GIS, GPS, Teaching, Land Management
ABSTRACT:
Geomatics, composed of the disciplines of geopositioning, mapping and the management of spatially oriented data by means of
computers, has recently evolved as a new discipline from the integration of surveys and mapping (geodetic engineering) curricula,
merged with the subjects of remote sensing and geographic information systems. Geomatics has become open to value added appli-
cations in many other disciplines using spatially referenced data. The paper attempts to trace the historical roots of these develop-
ments, and to outline the challenges of the new discipline, as well as the consequences in educational requirements in the global
scene. In the Central European Countries (Germany, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Switzerland,
Yugoslavia) the need arose for the setup of cadastral administrations and a reorganization of agricultural practices for use of machines.
This has led to the introduction of University degree programs in the Surveying and Mapping disciplines in the 1930’s. The
professional graduates formed a new workforce (in Germany of 8000 alone). Geodesy formed the scientific base of the discipline
with application technologies such as surveying, photogrammetry and cartography also covered, as well as land administration and
legal subjects. Due to the success of these ventures non European countries such as South Africa, Australia and Canada have also
introduced these degree programs in the 1960’s. Others like France, Spain, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malaysia followed in the 1970’s and
1980’s. The British and American influenced countries covered the Surveying and Mapping disciplines in graduate programs such as
at University College London, and Ohio State University. The graduate programs accepted graduates in Civil Engineering, the
natural sciences and geography. The specialization was possible in one field such as geodesy or photogrammetry, but a
comprehensive orientation toward surveying and mapping was lacking. Since about 1960 a technological revolution has taken place
in surveying and mapping technology: Angular surveys have been augmented by electronic distance measurement, and more
recently by satellite positioning. Electronic computers were able to statistically analyse huge measurement sets. Photogrammetry has
become an analytical discipline, competing in accuracy with ground surveys. Earth observation by satellites has made remote
sensing an indispensable tool. Cartography relying on tedious graphic work has made way to computer graphics. Geographic
Information Systems have permitted to organize spatially oriented data in data bases for the management of global, regional and
local problems. The need for sustainable development has recently made obvious, that spatially referenced data constitute a needed
infrastructure, to which all governments subscribe. Surveying and Mapping curricula have traditionally provided the vision for the
provision, updating, management and dissemination of spatially referenced data. However, there is a need to upgrade the curriculum
orientation to modern tools and to society's requirements. This is the reason why many programs have changed their name to
“geomatics”. It is time to rethink the needs, aims and contents of such a program. The paper analyses these in the light of present
Central European experiences with a reflection on the requirements in other continents.
1. INTRODUCTION Notwithstanding these activities, there was always a scientific
interest in geodesy, sparked through the existence of the French
Academy of Science, to determine size and shape of the earth
and to fit in the surface details of the continents by maps,
starting with the expeditions to Lappland and to Peru in the T
century. In the 19" century the techniques of angular measure-
ment by triangulation with a few baseline measurements in
between were to slow to make a significant mapping progress,
other than in densely populated Europe. The control established
in this manner was used in tedious plane table mapping, which
only some countries of Europe could afford. In this way
Bavaria produced a complete map at the scale 1:5000, the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy compiled a map 1:63 000, and
Prussia, which later became Germany produced a map 1:25 000
in a time period of a century, with a number of specialists
trained in military or governmental institutions. These
specialists were also able to establish cadastral systems at larger
scales creating a further demand for trained or educated
specialists. This created a demand for engineering curricula in
the survey disciplines of Central Europe.
The international conflicts in World War I demonstrated the
needs for faster mapping technologies. The airplane, aerial
survey cameras and photogrammetric mapping by complicated
instrumentation have been introduced, but it took a further
generation, before this technology was generally accepted by
The Surveying and Mapping disciplines to provide and to
exchange geoinformation have through the last century estab-
lished themselves as a professional field in need of their own
education programs. The different approaches in meeting the
educational demands greatly depended on the military, govern-
mental or private priorities and activities in the different
countries of the world.
At the time of Emperor Napoleon topographic mapping was
needed in Europe to undertake his military activities combating
the Prussian King, the Austrian Emperor and the Russian Tsar.
But at the same time he was a visionary to suggest a real estate
cadastre to be able to collect property taxes from those who
owned land. While his reign was short-lived, it helped to create
administrations for military mapping and cadastral admini-
strations for the establishment of tax cadastres in the regions
formerly occupied. This influenced other areas in Europe to
create such administrations for their own demands.
In the vast continents of America, Africa and Asia the military
mapping needs dominated because of the European colonial
interests, while the cadastral efforts remained minimal. On the
one hand these were the continents of vast land resources and
on the other hand the inhabitants were too poor to collect land
taxes from them.
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