Geoinformatics Today

Course summary

Geoinformatics is essentially concerned with the management and processing of spatial data, but also includes data collection processes, spatial analysis, and map visualisation. In this course, we give answers to the latest questions related to the current development of geoinformatics, and to do so in a way that students will acquire theoretical knowledge while solving concrete practical examples using the latest technologies and mainly online solutions.

Geoinformatics is present in our daily life, being part of a large number of activities that we do every day without being aware of its presence. Geonformatics is the base not only for planning multiple economic activities, but also is important giving answers to social and political questions. Geoinformatics is the is a key element of the navigation systems that people find in our cars and even the younger generations enjoy the various options it offers when, e.g., they orient themselves with the help of any online mapping service.

The courses are held by the institute's instructors and researchers, who try to update the content annually with the latest research results obtained in our institute. The courses consist not only of theoretical lessons, but also of practices too and its success is ensured with the equipment acquired by the institute.

Sustainability is present in the practices in an indirect and direct way. Despite the fact that, for reasons of funding and time, we are not able to organize a survey in nature for data collection, the content of the tasks to be solved by the students allow them to understand the role that geoinformatics plays e.g., in answering questions related to nature and environmental protection or developing possible solutions for problems caused by the inappropriate exploitation of natural resources or the failure preventing environmental pollution.

Geoinformatics is an effective tool in many fields of science and in many activities related to the economy and society. Its interdisciplinary character is more than confirmed by the fact that it combines cartographic knowledge with data science and analysis, as well as computer sciences in the interest of finding answers to critical problems in our current world. The possibility of inviting specialists from other institutions to present their experiences working in this area is not ruled out.