FIG Foundation grants

We are pleased to announce that the FIG Foundation has decided to provide a number of grants to support young surveyors to join the 6th FIG Young Surveyors Conference (6YSC) and the 2021 FIG e-Working Week. The deadline for submission of an application has passed.

The grand opening of the conference will provide opportunities for young surveyors across the world to hear from the speakers from FIG, and the FIG Young Surveyors Network. This will set the stage for the two- day conference across the globe.

• Rudolf Staiger, FIG President
• Vladmir Krupa, CLGE President
• Kwabena Asiama and Ferah Köksal, FIG Young Surveyors Network

The keynotes in this session will focus on the larger picture of the conference. The global pandemic has reoriented the way we are meeting the global challenges which persist. The keynotes will focus on the application of geo-spatial sciences and land administration in the drive towards facing up the global and societal challenges of our day, spanning global health, climate change, food security, among others.

• Dr. Tatenda Makanga, Senior Lecturer, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe.
• Kees de Zeeuw, Director, Kadaster International, the Netherlands.

The presentation allows young surveyors to follow presentations spanning Professional Development and Integrated Planning series and Management of Land and Water Resources from seasoned speakers in these areas.

Professional Development/Knowledge Sharing 
In rising to meet the challenges of our new reality, the relevance of a skillset responsive to the current demands is important. These  comprise presentations from leaders of professional associations will address approaches to professional development, mentorship and knowledge sharing in this detached yet connected new reality.

• Dr. Craig Hill, Leica GeoSystems, Switzerland
• Angela Etuonovbe, Nigeria

Integrated Planning and Management of Land and Water Resources
How can we transform the challenges of our new reality into new opportunities for a sustainable future? This session will address how integrated planning and management of land and water resources can be leveraged as a tool for sustainable development as we move forward.

• Edgar Barreira, ESRI, Portugal
• Willy Franck Sob, SOGEFI, Cameroun

Agenda 2030: Sustainability in times of Uncertainty
What does sustainability look like in a time of crisis? Covid-19 has awakened humanity to the fragility of our institutions in responding to crisis. However, it has also presented opportunities for growth and inclusion most especially in terms of and through technological  developments, reshaping our understanding of sustainability and resilience. This session will try to  address the question of what a sustainable future looks like, how we can prepare and build for it and the role of young  surveyors as agents of change in this fight for the future of our planet.

• Stella Chelangat Mutai, IMPRS, Kenya/Germany
• Ruvimbo Samanga, UNEC for Africa, Zimbabwe
• Leen De Paepe, Ghent University, Belgium
• Dr Kenneth Hyiaman, KNUST, Ghana

After listening to the panel discussion, and presentation series, the interactive plenary session will provide the platform for the speakers, panel members, and the audience to interact within the context of the session’s context and close the loop on the activities of the session.

Julia Herrera, Costa Rica (Moderador)

Ruth Lailany Trujillo, Puerto Rico
Melissa Robert, Uruguay
Yohana Leiva, Argentina

Cristian Araneda, Chile

Paula Caram, Uruguay

Cecilio Javier Cortés Arreola, México 

Daniel Hermosillo Camacho, México

The North American session will be opened by speakers from FIG, the FIG Foundation, the Fig Young Surveyors Network  as well as the NSPS.

• John Hohol, FIG Foundation President
• Kwabena Asiama and Ferah Köksal, FIG Young Surveyors Network
• Denver Winchester, NSPS YSN President

The speakers at the keynote session will focus on two key issues that are of great relevance to young surveyors starting their careers in the current world - Mentoring and Adaption to Crisis.

• Juliana Blackwell, Director, U.S. National Geodetic Survey, USA
• Jordan Lawver, Senior Business Area Manager, AR/MR/VR, Trimble, USA
  [handouts]

Two parallel streams will be offered, allowing participants the choice between sustainability and overcoming global crisis, two topics very important to young surveyors.

Presentation Stream:
What practices are unsustainable that we didn't know were unsustainable in 2019?
This session is all about sustainability: How do we promote sustainability in our own careers? Within the environment? Within the Surveying profession? Come listen to a variety of speakers give their opinions.

• Anna Rios, Aerios Geo LLC, USA
• Elly Ball, Get Kids into Surveying, United Kingdom
• Jason Houle, Leica, USA
• Brent Jones, ESRI, USA

Panel Discussion:
How did your group overcome the challenges of 2020? How should we prepare for the next crisis?
2020 was more than just a year, it was one long series of challenges. How did diffferent groups face and overcome a pandemic, lockdowns, social unrest, murder hornets, and everything else? A panel of experts from government, industry, academic, and other organizations will discuss.

• Ryan Hippenstiel, National Geodetic Survey, USA
• Alysen Tierney, owner at United Grading and Surveying, USA
• Omar Mora, Cal Poly Pomona, USA
• Claire Buxton, FIG YSN Volunteer Community Surveyor Programme (VCSP), Canada
• Davy McDowell, NCEES, USA

After listening to the panel discussion, and presentation series, the interactive plenary session will provide the platform for the speakers, panel members, and the audience to interact within the context of the session’s context and close the loop on the activities of the session.

The Asia and the Pacific session will be opened by speakers from FIG and the FIG Young Surveyors Network, and Asia-Pacific geospatial peak bodies.

• Kwabena Asiama and Ferah Köksal, FIG Young Surveyors
  Roshni Sharma, SSSI Young Professionals

Hear from inspiring, thought-provoking industry experts about cutting edge technologies, new ways of thinking, and the sorts of challenges that are changing the way we approach the art and science of surveying. We will hear from two special keynote speakers, to dig deeper into 'Challenges in our new reality: Reimagining a Sustainable Future'.

• Prof. Alan Duffy, Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne University of Technology
• Dr. Balamurugran Soundarajan, Research Associate, City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales,  Australia.
• Priya Gandhi, Senior Environmental Designer, Altier 10 and Homeward Bound 5

Two parallel streams will be offered, allowing participants to switch between diving into complex technical issues and exploring how professional development is evolving.

Technical Presentation Stream:
The Technical Stream will afford participants the chance to explore how earth observation and precise positioning for surveyors is changing the way our industry works, and an interactive session exploring which technical skills are going to be useful for the coming five years.

• Chris Marshall, Frontier SI

Professional Development Stream:
The professional development stream will afford participants the chance to explore matters such as: diversity and inclusion, mentoring and soft skills.

• Chetna Ben, University of the South Pacific
• Laurie la Pat, Homeward Bound Program

This interactive session will explore the question of 'What soft skills are required for leadership in our new normal for our industry', featuring graduates of the SSSI Mentoring Program from around the world.

• Mentors:
  • Inga Playle,
  • Helli Kotasek
  • Kate Fairlie
• Mentees:
  • Oscar So
  • Minghze Li