GEOTEACH CENSOPHIL PROJECT

Translating Geomatics Technology as an Empowering Tool for
Academic Institutions in Community Participatory Development and Human Resource Mobilization for Urban Agriculture and Environmental Management
in the Central and Southern Philippines
   
  Summary  
 
General
  
 
 
 
  • The project was implemented by two Philippine universities (University of Saint La Salle/USLS, Bacolod, and Xavier University/XUCA, Cagayan de Oro) who were supported by a German (University of Applied Sciences/HsKA, Karlsruhe) and Belgian university (University of Our Lady of Peace/FUNDP, Namur) as well as a Philippine NGO (Environmental Science for Social Change/ESSC).
  
 
  • The project duration was from January 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007. All project objectives were achieved. 
 
 
Results
  
 
  • With its project end on March 31, 2007, the Geoteach Censophil Project has been a concrete demonstration of the varied applications of European geomatics technology in instruction, research and community development. The following main activities were conducted:
 
 
    • Two staff members each from the Philippine universities USLS and XUCA gained fundamental knowledge in geomatics and have become local trainers of fellow faculty, students, NGO and government employees after successfully graduating from a special geomatics certificate course facilitated by the European project partners HsKA and FUNDP.
    • The course encompassed a five months (March – July 2005) participation in relevant sections of the International Geomatics Masters Program at HsKA with a subsequent mandatory applied research thesis which was conducted in the Philippines under the scientific supervision of FUNDP.
    • All four trainees successfully defended their theses at FUNDP in July 2006 in front of a panel of four senior geomatics scientists (two from FUNDP, one from HsKA and one from ESSC).
 
 
    • State-of-the art geomatics laboratories have been established at USLS and XUCA with technical assistance of the Philippine project partner ESSC. They are used by students for subjects with GIS integration, by faculty for trainings and researches and by staff for GIS-related community development projects utilizing the corresponding eight modular theoretical lectures and practical exercises that have been developed by the project.
 
 
    • Ten workshops, two research seminars as well as five international conferences have been conducted by the project to demonstrate practical geomatics applications and to discuss and disseminate project results. The project results have been further shared by establishing of project websites hosted by the partner agencies, presentation of the researches at local and international conferences as well as newspaper articles.
 
 
    • Business/sustainability plans to sustain and expand the new programs at both Philippine universities have been developed.
 
 
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