Remote Sensing and GIS Education in Iran
Ambiguities, difficulties and solutions:
Although GIS and remote sensing techniques are widely used in developed countries for various applications and these sciences are rapidly expanding, but sometimes there are still some doubts and myths to use them even among specialists of other scientific fields. Perhaps this is because of their insufficient and incorrect understanding about these techniques and their fields of applications.
Nowadays with convincing answers to those ambiguities, the doubts are becoming lesser day by day, fields and correct methods to apply those techniques are becoming more clear and more specialists are finding proper use of the technology as the best tool for their constructive, natural or environmental plaguing problems. In developing countries like IRAN, main difficulties in GIS and remote sensing education that has been existed and partly existing is:
- Computer equipment has been expensive and necessary maintenance was a complex task for educational institutes and sufficient numbers of computers have not been available.
- Correct using of complex GIS and remote sensing software was difficult especially for those who have a little experiment on computers and their mother tongue is not English.
- Satellite imagery was expensive and it has been difficult to obtain them.
- Importance of using satellite imagery and GIS'es for development was not clear to governmental decision makers, and because of this it has been very difficult to justify training courses on these topics.
It has been more or less these difficulties or similar problems that caused retardation and sensible educational lacks about these topics in countries such as IRAN .Fortunately computer equipment is gradually becoming less expensive and different specialists more familiar with GIS& remote sensing software's Satellite imagery are becoming available with reasonable prices, Therefore decision makers are understanding that they can and they should use new technologies for plaguing development affairs. Therefore they are recognising the necessity for serious care about educational problems. In IRAN we need two kinds of specialists:
1) Researchers who can develop new methods and expand applications and to teach in universities as professors.
2) Technicians who can apply proved techniques in special operational problems.
Considering rapid development of the country and recognising wide range of applications of these techniques and to remove educational lacks to reach to an independence situation in training and using them, it is foresighted that specialist man power requirements in different levels in next ten years shall be as following:
Table 1) Foresighted manpower requirements in different levels on GIS mid remote sensing in next ten years in IRAN.( Numbers are in persons).
Level ---->
Years |
Graduated from high school (with technical training) |
Technician level |
Graduated level |
Graduated level |
PHD level |
| 1996 |
500 |
250 |
100 |
40 |
10 |
| 2000 |
700 |
350 |
200 |
60 |
20 |
| 2005 |
900 |
450 |
300 |
80 |
35 |
To attain above aims and predicted trained manpower requirements as above table, we should establish non-existing required educational curriculum and GIS and remote sensing subjects should be included in all academic levels from elementary school to highest levels of university in a proper way. With this action, not only we can educate required specialists but also the public will have some general knowledge about basis of these sciences. In each of the educational levels there should be some subjects suitable for that level and age.
In elementary school following subjects can be included: General figure of the earth, ability to take pictures of this globe from sky and outline of aerial photographs. In geography lectures of secondary school we can teach: Stereoscopic vision of aerial photographs and concept of scale of images.
In geography lectures of first two years of high school, principles of aerial photography, electromagnetic radiation and spectrum and also spectral behavior of different objects on earth's surface, can be taught. An introduction to different sensors, various formats of data in computers, concept of resolution in satellite images, an introduction to atmospheric effects, general concept of GIS and using different layers of data for GIS analyses along with computer operations and field works, can be included in last years of high school.
In establishing proposed curriculum as above table, care should be made that graduated persons should have abilities suitable to country's requirements.
In the technician curriculum, half of the course should be covered with teaching necessary theories and in the rest students should do different operational projects
During the graduate .level, all of the proved general sciences and theories about that topic should be taught and students should accomplish a good project in the last year.
In the master of science course, student." should have ability to develop and expand related techniques in some special subject and they should also teach with full domination in the related lower levels.
I believe that with two plans, in 5 years and .10 years, we can become quite independent about specialist manpower requirements and university teachers in GIS and remote sensing. Of course to attain this aim we should take maximum advantage of existing specialist and scientist and also in the first 5 years, we should send abroad some specialists to study in MSc and PHD levels at good universities in other countries.
The most important necessary background for successfulness in graduate level on GIS is high skills in mapping sciences and map reading, computer analyses, database management and computerised cartography. Therefore the major part of .lectures in graduate level on GIS should be: Surveying, cartography, computer, software and databases. .It is also better that half of the MSc students in GIS, have licentiate's degree in surveying or GIS and the rest with degrees in
mathematics and computer
In the graduate level on remote sensing, successfulness depends on having good abilities in maps, map reading, photogrammetry , computer and optics and also basics of Electronics and electromagnetic waves. Then in the curriculum there should be serious emphasis on physics. It shall be better that half of the MSc students in remote sensing had been graduated in photogrammetry or remote sensing and the rest in physics.
I believe that graduated people in geography can not be successful in MSc courses on GIS or remote sensing, because they do not have necessary knowledge about physics, computer and surveying.
In this way, all necessary curriculum shall be established in a consistent and suitable manner, which will
satisfy country's requirements in all different levels.
Conclusion:
Nowadays the correct way of advancement in all of the scientific fields is quite clear and proved and it needs for serious struggle and effort. About GIS and remote sensing techniques, considering requirements of developing IRAN to these sciences and on the other hand serious mentioned deficits and lacks, an obvious necessity for effort and advancement on these fields is sensed. Therefore we should apply all our possibilities and capabilities and we should make earnest effort to establish mentioned curriculum and promotion of related scientific culture across the country. Time is priceless and this should be done as fast as possible. With this action we can reach to required necessary level in ten years. To do so we should take advantage of experiments of advanced countries and also there is good readiness to present our experiments for other developing nations. There is a proverb that says: If your horizon is one year, plant rice; If your horizon is ten years, plant trees; And if it is 100 years educate your children. Only with serious and planned effort, we can reach to that high level in these sciences which is really decent and suitable for our nation and our country .
References:
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Bhan, S. K. And Dutt, C.B.S. (1991) "Remote sensing training opportunities", J. Current sciences. Vol.61, Nos. 3&4, pp 278-281.
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- Gupta,A.K., V. Jayaraman and M.G. Chandrasekhar,(1994)." Strategies for the introduction of remote sensing in the educational curriculum in India" Proc. 15Th ACRS, Nov.1994, Bangalore, India.
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