GIS Students Forum 2007 opens

He was delivering the opening speech at the GIS Educational Forum 2007, which is being organized alongside Map Middle East 2007, the 3rd Annual Conference and Exhibition on GeoSpatial Information, Technologies and Applications at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three-day event will conclude today.
Zaffin said the geospatial information has entered all fields from construction of high rise buildings, which use the GPS system to taxis, which use navigational system based on GIS.

A Map Gallery with the theme "Many nations, one world," was inaugurated earlier on Monday as part of the GIS Educational Forum 2007, which is being organized by the GIS Centre of Dubai Municipality for the second consecutive year as part of Map Middle East conference and exhibition.

The GIS Educational Forum 2007, which includes five sessions such as "Environmental Protection," "Services and Infrastructure," "Public Health," "Protection of Natural Sanctuaries," "Roads and Public Transport," is being held in two days. On the opening day, students from eight schools in the UAE presented their research projects.

In the "Environmental Protection" session, students of Omar Bin Al Khattab School, Dubai presented their research project titled "Dubai Airport and noise pollution," while Al Baidha School, Ras Al Khaimah presented their project, "Negative impact of noise pollution on educational performance of students," students from Masafee School, Fujairah presented the project on "Air pollution in Masafee area" and students of Al Muhajireen School, Sharjah presented their research titled, "Environmental pollution."

In the session on "Services and Infrastructure," students of Al Majd School, Sharjah presented their research on the "Impact of sewage treatment plant on Sharjah vegetable market," while students of Al Manar School, Sharjah presented "Effects of used car market at Abu Shaghara area," students of Umm Ammar School, Ajman presented the project "Health services at Ajman" and students of Saad Bin Abi Waqas School, Fujairah spoke about their project "Tourism impact at Dibba Al Fujairah."

This year, about 250 participants from schools and special-needs centres all over the Arab world are taking part in the GIS Educational Forum, which aims at enhancing the way of getting benefits to all categories of the society in addition to establishing a strategic partnership with various governmental and private sectors in the Arab world.

It also aims at strengthening the existence of educational environment based on research and questions that activate discussions and conversations in a rich and incentive domain in terms of technology.

The Geospatial Executive Leadership Forum also got underway on Tuesday along side the Map Middle East event with the theme "GeoSpatial Enterprises." Personalities from leading organizations from the geospatial industry and academia addressed the participants on project management, leadership challenges and various successful business development strategies.

The Geospatial Executive Leadership Forum started with an introductory speech by Prof Arup Das Gupta, Advisor to GIS Development, the co-organizers of Map Middle East 2007 on "Issues in managing large geospatial projects in the government," which was followed by a presentation by Mathew O'Connell, CEO of GeoEye, USA, who spoke about the "Leadership issues of management of high resolution imageries in data explosion era."