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in print
Mr. Mukund Rao
Chair, WG-Edu, ISRO
Education holds the key to future space technology development and its applications and thus space education needs to become an essential element in this competitive world. Establishing a wide network of education and a sustained human resources development must be the imperative for the 21st century - with a view to build capacities with far reaching impacts on the space utilisation amongst various countries.
The UN has established Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education in different regions of the world. These Centres provide opportunities for developing country scholars to undertake Post Graduate courses in Remote Sensing and GIS. Inter-governmental agencies (like FAO, ESCAP, UN-OOSA and others) also have active programmes in education and training in EO. Apart from this, specific programmes for graduate students and young professionals are undertaken by a number of regional institutions in different countries. The UN Regional Centres could emerge as the "hub" for regional EO education and training efforts.
CEOS agencies also have programmes that support education and training
in specific areas of EO - ranging from instrumentation, digital image analysis,
GIS,
Applications of EO to specific theme areas and also in addressing natural
resources management.
Some of the major concerns for an EO Education and Training programme
include - Development of teaching materials and aids; Availability of EO
data;
Faculty and Expert personnel availability; Necessary curriculum development
and standardization; Establishment of necessary facilities and laboratories;
Availability of Fellowships and travel grants; Publication of materials
- books and exercises materials for a self-learning mode of classes for
students; Outreach with other institutions - Internet connectivity; Multi-media
teaching aids and materials; Projects and case studies and Financial resources
for the conduct of the activities.
In the interest of promoting EO technology and applications, CEOS has
taken a proactive role and provides a focus to the activity of education
and
training in the field of EO by setting up an ad hoc Working Group on
EO Education and Training (WG-Edu).
As part of this, the WG-Edu would make a work plan for CEOS to take
up in the field of EO Education and Training. The WG-Edu will:
