The University of St. La Salle -- Bacolod City will host on Jan. 23 -27, 2006, the Third International Conference of GEOTEACH CENSOPHIL, a two year multilateral project funded by the European Union through EUROPEAID -- Asia Information Technology and Communication ( ASIA --IT&C). The project involves five partners and focuses on Geomatics, a scientific mapping technology using mathematical tools.

 

The European partner universities are --- Facultes Universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix ( Namur, Belgium) and Hochschule Karlsruhe ( Karlsruhe, Germany) while the Philippine partners are Xavier University College of Agriculture ( Cagayan de Oro), University of St. La Salle ( Bacolod City), and Environmental Science for Social Change ( ESSC, Ateneo de Manila University).

Expected to attend the Third GEOTEACH Conference are foreign partners and European Union representatives Rene Sieron and Mirko Giebels, Project Proponent and Director Dr, Robert Holmer ( XUCA), and international partners Prof. Francoise Orban -- Ferauge and Jean Pierre Van Oudenhove ( FUNDP-Belgium), Prof. Gertrud Schaab and Tobias Lung ( HsKA- Germany), and Fr. Pedro Walpole, SJ (ESSC).

Launched during the First Conference held in Cagayan de Oro February 2005, the Project is designed to develop in USLS and XUCA, competence in geomatics technology for application in community -- based development and management of agriculture and natural resources in the areas where the both institutions are located. The project has the following components: a five- month Geomatics training of 2 staff from each Philippine university partner, the setting up of Geomatics laboratories at USLS and XUCA, local trainings for faculty, NGOs and government entities, applied research, and curriculum integration.

During the Second GEOTEACH Conference held in Karlsruhe , Germany last July 2005, USLS was represented by USLS Project Coordinator Dr. Marie Therese Jochico, Engr. Mary Ann Pandan, and Mr. Ericson Alarcon, all members of the USLS Geoteach team.

The working committee for the Third Conference also includes Ms. Teresita Barcoma, Director of USLS BALAYAN Community Services and College of Engineering Dean Dr. Florita Napallatan.

Dr. M. Therese V. Jochico Coordinator, GEOTEACH Censophil - USLS Director, USLS -- DERIL Office

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