infrastructure that underlies efficient GIS applications is radically different from the infra 
structure underlying analogue information collection, management, application and 
dissemination. " 
Added to this security restrictions that control access to and use of 
geographic information including airphotography are a crucial cultural element in many 
developing countries. 
ITC has recently introduced the integrated digital map and geoinformation production 
post-graduate course. This is a first step towards establishing a common ground for all 
scientific departments in the classification of geographical information with a view of 
optimizing multiple integrated use of that information. In view of the diversity of disci 
plines in ITC, there lies a great challenge in demonstrating to the world of decision 
makers, that a generic concept of geoinformation infrastructure can provide common 
ground for education and research. By solving this challenge, educators can teach methods 
of introducing GIS technology into existing production organizations and of linking these 
organizations for more effective decision making in environmental management. 
CONCLUSION 
The challenge to educators in the field of global and environmental monitoring is fourfold: 
(1) inclusion of the indispensable tools of both remote sensing and GIS as standard 
components in curricula of courses in environmental management or environmental 
sciences. 
(2) encouragement of interdisciplinary training both within the natural sciences, and 
between these and the socio-economic sciences; and 
(3) stimulation of a new thinking with more direct measurement of dynamic environ 
mental parameters and on a range of extreme spatiotemporal 
scales 
(4) the development of attributes and skills to influence decisions makers. 
As yet we have not met these challenges at ITC. But I can and do claim that "we try 
harder". 
The earlier mentioned ITC/FAO course ARTEMIS/ILWIS for early warning of crop failure 
in Africa is an example of this. 
For instrumental training in remote sensing and GIS the ITC now offers various tool- 
oriented courses in Remote Sensing and GIS, the most important being: 
• Remote Sensing Applications for Land Resource Surveys and Rural 
Development; This is a Certificate Course 
• Digital Image Processing is available both as MSc and as Certificate Course 
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