19 September 2008

Two of UNSW’s leaders in geoinformation technologies, Professor Chris Rizos and Associate Professor Linlin Ge, are developing new links with key European Earth Observation researchers after winning scholarships awarded by the European Commission.

Professors Rizos and Ge have been awarded prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarships under a program established by the European Commission to promote the European Union (EU) as a centre of learning.

The two researchers, from UNSW Engineering’s School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, are among just 25 Australian academics selected for participation this year. The 13,000 Euro ($A23,000) scholarship provides for up to three months for recipients to visit and work with universities in the EU.

Professor Rizos and Associate Professor Ge will investigate opportunities for cooperation on postgraduate courses with the International Institute for Geo-Information and Science in The Netherlands, Lund University in Sweden, the University of Southampton in the UK and the University of Warsaw in Poland.

The four EU universities form the GEM Consortium, which has established a cross-European MSc programme in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management. Professor Rizos said the consortium had approached UNSW Engineering’s School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems about being a non-European partner.

“The consortium members may be able to send postgraduate students out here to do thesis work – my visit will be for the purpose of exploring what options will work,” he said.

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand, Bruno Julien, said Erasmus Mundus scholarships, which also have a category for students, provided a valuable opportunity for students and scholars alike to lean more about European cultures, languages and academic systems.

“Last year Australia and the European Commission signed a Declaration of Intent to further improve collaboration on education,” he said.

“Initiatives such as the Joint Mobility Projects, co-funded with the Department of Education Employment & Workplace Relations, the Europe Centres and Erasmus Mundus, will continue to build and foster relationships in order to uphold strong bonds between the EU and Australia for many years to come.”

Professor Chris Rizos.		Associate Professor Linlin Ge.