I N T E R N A T I O N A L I N S T I T U T E F O R G E O - I N F O R M A T I O N S C I E N C E A N D E A R T H O B S E R V A T I O N

General InformationGeneral Information

What’s ITC all about?

Your world is our science

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What’s ITC all about?

One of humankind's greatest challenges is to achieve an appropriate balance between developingnatural resources and maintaining an optimal natural environment. To meet this challenge, we needdetailed and reliable geo-information and geo-information management tools.

At the International Institute for Geo-Information Science

and Earth Observation (ITC), knowledge of

geo-information management is readily available and is

continually being developed and extended. By means of

education, research and project services, we contribute to

capacity building in developing countries and emerging

economies. In doing so, considerable attention is paid to

the development and application of geographical

information systems (GIS) for solving problems. Such

problems can range from determining the risks of

landslides, mapping forest fires, planning urban

infrastructure, implementing land administration systems,

monitoring food and water security,

to designing a good wildlife management system or

detecting environmental pollution.

The key words characterising our activities are geo-

information management, worldwide and innovative.

We concentrate on earth observation, the generation of

spatial information, and the development of data

integration methods. Furthermore, we provide tools that

can support the processes of planning and decision making

for sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty

in developing countries and emerging economies.

ITC's contribution to the UNU missionAs an associated institution of the United Nations

University (UNU), ITC contributes to the UNU mission,

which is "to contribute, through research and capacity

building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems

that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples and

Member States".

The cooperation between ITC and the United Nations

University is directed at developing and carrying out a

Joint Programme on Capacity Building in Disaster

Management and in Land Administration, and at

disseminating knowledge on these and directly related

issues. The programme activities are accommodated in two

schools:

• School for Disaster Geo-Information Management

• School for Land Administration Studies.

OrganisationThe Institute is managed by a Directorate headed by a

rector and a director for external affairs. Three bureaus

manage the core processes of education, research and

project services, which are executed by staff of the six

scientific departments covering ITC’s knowledge field.

Key figures (2007)• 2116 students, 1725 newly registered, from 73 countries

• 421 degrees/diplomas/certificates awarded

• 9 degree courses, 7 diploma courses, 14 short courses, 9

refresher courses, 15 joint education courses, 10 distance

education courses, 53 tailor-made courses

• 96 registrants in the graduate programme

• 42 advisory activities

• 235 staff fte, which includes 16 professors

Scientific departments• Department of Earth Observation Science

• Department of Earth Systems Analysis

• Department of Geo-Information Processing

• Department of Natural Resources

• Department of Urban and Regional Planning and

Geo-Information Management

• Department of Water Resources

UN

Our Hope forHumankind

an Associated Institution of the

In order to ensure that new knowledge and innovation in

space and resource management and in the provision of

geospatial data lead to societal benefits, the programme is

formulated as a number of interlinked research themes.

Each theme encompasses profound knowledge in three

domains:

• earth observation and geo-information processing

technologies relevant to the thematic field;

• the geospatial processes playing a role in the thematic

field; and

• the way in which the community associated with the

thematic field can access and exploit new knowledge

and innovation.

In each theme, research is carried out by a group led by

one of ITC’s professors. Each group typically comprises

several expert staff members and a number of graduate

students carrying out research for a PhD degree in the

framework of the graduate programme.

Graduate programmeGraduate students studying for a PhD degree at ITC are

registered in its graduate programme. Each graduate

student carries out a research project in one of the

research themes of the research programme under the

supervision of research group members.

There are approximately 100 graduate students at ITC. Most

are full-time PhD student researchers aiming to submit and

defend a PhD thesis at one of the Netherlands universities

to which ITC is affiliated through adjunct appointments of

its professors (University of Twente, Utrecht University,

Wageningen University and Research Centre, Delft

University of Technology). Others are PhD interns spending

periods of about one year at ITC as part of their studies to

submit and defend a PhD thesis at a university overseas. For

full-time PhD student researchers the time trajectory for

completing a PhD research project normally takes about 3½

years.

More information can be found in the separateResearch brochure or at www.itc.nl/research

Research

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Discovery of new knowledge of geo-information

The ITC research programme develops cutting-edge knowledge and innovative approaches in geo-information science and earth observation. The programme addresses applications of geospatial datafor space and resource management and provision of geospatial data for the user community.

15 Research themes• Biodiversity in fragmenting landscapes

• Carbon cycle and climate change

• Disaster management

• Earth systems science

• Food security and environmental sustainability

• Governance and integrated spatial assessment

• Informed multilevel governance of urban regions

• Land administration for informed governance

• Managing water scarcity

• Spatial data infrastructure technology

• Spatio-temporal data integration and visualization

• Stochastic methods for image mining and data quality

• Sustainable urban-regional dynamics

• Utilisation of sensor developments for efficient

topographic mapping

• Water cycle and climate

Over the years, ITC has developed a wide selection of

degree, diploma and certificate courses in the field of geo-

information science and earth observation. These courses

are offered in the Netherlands, online and abroad by ITC

itself or by ITC in collaboration with reputable qualified

educational organisations.

Programmes in Geo-information Science andEarth ObservationDegree programmes

• Master of Science (MSc) degree programme 18 months

• Master degree programme 12 months

Diploma programmes

• Postgraduate diploma programme (PGD) 9 months

• Diploma programme 9 months

Certificate programmes

• Certificate course programme

and individual modules 3 weeks-3 months

• Distance education programme 6 weeks

Joint education programme variable

Graduate programme 3-3.5 years

ITC’s degree programmes are listed in the Central Register

of Higher Education Programmes (CROHO) and thus are

legally recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Education,

Culture and Science. Responsibility for accreditation has

been allocated to the Netherlands Flemish Accreditation

Organization (NVAO).

Seven courses are offered in the degree programmes in

Geo-information Science and Earth Observation:

• Applied Earth Sciences

• Geoinformatics

• Governance and Spatial Information Management

• Land Administration

• Natural Resources Management

• Urban Planning and Management

• Water Resources and Environmental Management

Cooperation with leading universities in EuropeTwo MSc courses are offered in consortium with renowned

Dutch and European universities:

• Geographical Information Management and Applications

• Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for

Environmental Modelling and Management.

Origins and backgrounds of ITC courseparticipantsThe origins and backgrounds of ITC course participants

have a significant influence on the educational processes.

The majority of these participants are professionals in their

respective fields, with prior academic training and (often)

professional experience. Consequently, professional

relevancy and problem orientation are important factors in

designing ITC’s training courses, with the emphasis on the

application of concepts and skills.

Our courses aim at providing in-depth study of a particular

set of problems in developing countries and emerging

economies. They attract young and mid-career professionals

with an interest in development-related issues.

Programme structureThe majority of the programmes are modular in structure,

facilitating a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving

for development purposes, and considerable emphasis is

placed on remote sensing and GIS. A module deals with

one subject or related subjects and lasts for three weeks.

Modules are grouped together in blocks that form a

coherent part of the course.

Block 1: Principles of geo-information science and earth

observation (MSc, Master, PGD)

Block 2: Application of geo-information science and earth

observation in the field of interest (MSc, Master, PGD)

Block 3: Research orientation (MSc), (individual) final

assignment (Master, PGD)

Block 4: Individual research (MSc)

ITC alumni - a worldwide networkITC has built up an extensive network of international

contacts, one that includes United Nations organisations,

universities, research groups, resources survey and map

production services, and various international professional

associations. And former programme participants are the

very backbone of this network!

More information can be found in the separateEducation brochure or at www.itc.nl/education

Education

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A multicultural environment

More than 19,000 course participants from over 170 countries have followed ITC courses since 1950.With almost 60 years of extensive experience and a dedicated scientific staff with a wide range ofexpertise, ITC is one of the world’s foremost professional training establishments in the field of geo-information science and earth observation.

To accommodate the rapidly changing demand for

capacity building and institutional strengthening, ITC

offers a flexible package of training and project services

tailored to the needs of its clientele in terms of content,

duration and location.

Supporting institutional developmentThe aim of institutional development – by far the most

important type of project service carried out by ITC – is to

establish and/or improve the institutional set-up and

capability of educational and professional organisations

specialising in geo-information handling and earth

observation.

Contract trainingIn addition to the many standard courses offered, ITC

provides training courses designed specifically to meet

client requirements. The client and ITC agree on the

required topics and timing, and the courses are run at ITC’s

headquarters in Enschede or at the client’s premises. It is

also possible to combine tailor-made training with modules

from academic degree courses. These modules are held at

fixed times on the academic course calendar and can offer

a cost-effective training solution.

Contract research As the discovery of new knowledge leads to higher-quality

education and support for capacity building, ITC believes it

is very important to be active in research projects. ITC

carries out contract research for a wide variety of agencies

worldwide, often as part of a larger international research

network.

Advisory servicesAdvisory services provide ITC staff with the opportunity to

keep in touch with the real-life working environment of

students and clients. They also enable ITC to remain at the

forefront of market developments and to adjust training

and research services accordingly.

Examples of advisory services provided by ITC include:

• support for the development of management

information systems, with particular regard to the design

and implementation of information systems based on

remote sensing and GIS

• advice on surveys related to aerospace, topography,

geosciences and natural resources

• market studies, needs assessments, zoning studies,

environmental assessments and regional development

plans

• project identification, formulation and design (including

feasibility studies and cost assessments), and project

monitoring and evaluation.

More information can be found in the separateProject Services brochure or at www.itc.nl/projects

Project services

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Tailored to the needs of our clients

Any organisation providing and/or using geo-information, for example, survey and mappingagencies, land registries (cadastre), government agencies (e.g. municipalities), and planning andresource management organisations (e.g. water boards), needs highly educated professionals that areable to deal with the drastic changes in their operating environment, such as the rapid developmentsin geo-IC technology and architecture, increased competition, and government policies on cost-recovery, decentralisation, and the empowerment of users and clients.

International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)

P.O. Box 6

7500 AA Enschede

The Netherlands

T: +31 (0)53 487 44 44

F: +31 (0)53 487 44 00

E: pr@itc.nl

I: www.itc.nl

For more details on ITC’s educational activities, research and project services, please contact the department concerned by

mail or email:

General information: Communication department pr@itc.nl

Education: Student Registration education@itc.nl

Research: Bureau Research Coordination research@itc.nl

Project services: Bureau Marketing and Project Services mps@itc.nl

Office hours: 9:00 am – 17:00 pm (Central European Time) Monday to Friday

I N T E R N A T I O N A L I N S T I T U T E F O R G E O - I N F O R M A T I O N S C I E N C E A N D E A R T H O B S E R V A T I O N

Pictures: © Gerard KusterITC 2500-01072008