SPATIALreason

Integrating Spatial Reasoning in
Interdisciplinary Research and Education
(co-funded by ASEA Uninet, Austria, 2011)

INTRODUCTION

Conventionally, spatial reasoning has been treated mainly in geographical sciences but this has not been integrated much in other social sciences as well as in the interdisciplinary research and education. On the other hand, all the social sciences deal with one or the other aspect of the society and society has a spatial location as well as most of its activities have a spatial element in one way or the other. Integration of spatial reasoning in social and interdisciplinary research and education is a value addition to the existing analytical tools and methods which have been used over the decades. Successful communication of spatial reasoning and knowledge is required across all segments of the society. Starting from cognitive aspects, facets of situated learning and interaction with visual stimuli lead to research questions important for a Spatially Aware Geo-Intelligent Society.

OBJECTIVE
  • develop in-depth understanding of spatial patterns of various natural, social and economic phenomena
  • introduce a variety of sophisticate methods and efficient GIS-technologies to analyse various processes
  • give 'hands-on' practical training using GIS-software for capturing, processing and analysing various types of spatial information for re-presenting the present, re-constructing the past and projecting the futur trends.
ACTIVITIES
  • Organise a short intensive ‘Faculty Development Workshops’ at the host institution in the Philippines and invite participants from several Universities and organisations in Southeast Asia
The reason for organising a short intensive multi-partner ‘Faculty Development Workshop’ is to network with several institutions (to share the ’know-how’ and generate higher multiplier effect within a short period (1 week) and initiate an academic network for future scientific cooperation among several institutions of higher education.

PARTNERS
 Organiser Institutions
AUSTRIA:
 - Centre for Geoinformatics (Z_GIS),  University of Salzburg, Salzburg
 - ASEA Uninet, Innsbruck
 
PHILIPPINES:
 - Department of Geography, University of the Philippines, Diliman
 Participant Institutions
INDONESIA:
 - Institute of Technology (ITB), Bandung
 - University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta

MALAYSIA:
 - University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor

PHILIPPINES:
 - University of the Philippines, Diliman
 - University of the Philippines, Los Banos
 - University of the Philippines, Manila

THAILAND:
 - Burapha University, Chonburi
 - Chiang Mai University, Chaing Mai
 - Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
 - Naresuan University, Phitsanulok
 - Prince of Songkla University, Phuket

VIETNAM:
 - HCMC University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City
 - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City

OUTCOMES (see the blogs here: Aug. & Nov.)
  • 2 Faculty Development Workshops were organised at the Department of Geography, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City
    • Workshop-1 from 15th to 19th August, 2011
    • Workshop-2 from 4th to 8th November, 2011
  • Total number of 39 participants from 13 Universities located in 5 Southeast Asian countries took part in the workshops and completed individual projects focussing on several application areas of GIScience.
  • All the participants presented the outcomes of their projects in the dissemination seminar.
Contact: Dr. Shahnawaz, Centre for Geoinformatics (Z_GIS), University of Salzburg, Austria.