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August 2002 |
Asia Unleashed…!
This is a proud moment for GIS in Asia to convene its first and its own GIS event for the whole continent at Bangkok, in the form of Map Asia 2002. The need and the relevance of such an event is evident. Asian markets are emerging as the fastest growing GIS markets in the world. Asia is also the place where the world has pined its hope for overcoming the recession.
But we all know that Asia is a not a single market. All countries have their own socio-economic and political peculiarities, which dictate the growth of GIS technologies in the region. The countries vary in their languages, their culture, their history and their visions of the future, resulting into an enormous challenge of building up a common Asian identity.
That is why it is not surprising to find that the Asian countries are more in collaboration with the American and European countries for technology transfer, than among themselves. It is not uncommon to find the Asian scientists meeting each other only at western technology forums. These forums are not only thought as glamorous ones, but also prestigious ones than any scientific meetings being held in Asia.
In this background, as the Asian community has previously seen, GIS@development has been working with the single-minded goal of organising this community of scientists and professionals, especially from the less developed parts of Asia in contact with the more developed countries. The Map Asia 2002 is another step in the same direction. With around 150 papers being presented, nearly 20 exhibitors, more than 350 participants, this is going to be a glorious moment for GIS in Asia!
Let us thank the grand partnership of the premier educational institute in the region, Asian Institute of Technology, the space agency of Thailand, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, and the leading Asian GIS research organisation from India, Centre for Spatial Database Management and Solutions, who have turned this dream into a reality.
Let me come to the end with the conference theme, ‘Let us grow together’!
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