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REMOTE SENSING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH 
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS 
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS 
Prof. Dr. D. Rokos 
Laboratory of Remote Sensing 
National Technical University 
of Athens, Greece. 
Abstract 
This paper attempts to analyse and discuss the basic characteristics of Remote Sensing 
Education and Research, as they are defined and/or affected by the basic characteristics of 
Remote Sensing Science, Techniques and Methodologies respectively. 
Remote Sensing bases, nature, philosophy, aims and applications, being multidimen 
sional, interdisciplinary and integrated in character, presuppose'some concrete and inevitable 
effects on relevant University courses and programs. 
Therefore, basic mathematics and physics, photointerpretation and statistical methods 
and techniques, computer science and digital image processing, as well as sensor and space 
technologies topics have to optimally contribute and interact whithin basic remote sensing cur 
ricula, integrating experience, specific and interdisciplinary scientific knowledge and logic 
towards elaborating and developing specific and/or multidimensional relevant Land, Atmos 
phere and Ocean methodologies and applications. 
* At a structural and functional ievel this results in a great diversification: 
(a) of multi and inter-departmental University Remote Sensing courses and programs, 
(b) of multi and inter-discipiinary remote sensing laboratories and research, 
(c) of national and muiti/international remote sensing education, training and research and 
development centers, programs and activities, 
(d) of multi level and types (university, postgraduate, graduate and undergraduate, tech 
nologists, technicians and/or decision makers, local and central authorities e.t.c.) and life long 
continuing remote sensing education. 
Analyzing and evaluating the current trends in remote sensing education and research in 
Europe, USA and Canada the author concludes with some proposals which are already in 
practice in the Laboratory of Remote Sensing of The National Technical University of Athens. 
1. Introduction 
Remote Sensing is a relatively new scientific and technological field of interest for many 
Universities and Research and Development Centres all over the world dealing with disciplines 
and programs involved in the observation, monitoring, evaluation and management of our 
natural and socioeconomic environment as well as of their relations, interactions, interdepen 
dencies and change trends in time. 
In many of them the development of Remote Sensing courses and programs was »the 
inevitable evolution of their Photointerpretation tradition in specific areas of applications like 
Geography, Forestry, Geology, Soil and Land Use/Cover Classification, Natural Resources, 
Urban Area Analysis, Archaeology, Surveying and, Civil Engineering, Water Management e.t.c. 
In other Universities the development of Remote Sensing curricula and relevant re 
search activities was an obvious consequence of the parallel development of relative new 
technologies in the Departments of Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and