Academic Network

Brainstorming page - not official

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The goals of the OSGeo (International) Academic Network would be primarily collaboration, to:

1. Provide a unified academic body for OSGeo to turn to for more official perspectives and roles.
2. Allow OSGeo focused students, interns, and institutions to find opportunities to work together.
3. Help each other find research funding opportunities and grants by working together.
4. Maintain a comprehensive list of contact persons in various regions for rollout of ideas. (more than just a mailing list!)
5. Receive and direct the use of funding. There would be a fee to join the network, with some of that funding going back to fund activities - e.g. scholarships, research, writing, events.
6. Give a more unified presence for OSGeo Academics at major events - e.g. AAG, ICA ...
7. Identify the best opportunities for using marketing funds at academic events.
8. Help host and run regular, regionally focus, workshops, events and education sprints.
9. Coordinate with the OSGeo Journal to have special editions, move toward collective needs.
10. Show the world that OSGeo is organised and pursuing academic initiatives.

All this would build on the idea of the Education Committee but act more like a formal Project within OSGeo rather than just a discussion place.

More background on the Talk:Academic Network page.

Institutions showing interest

• Tyler Mitchell, OSGeo, coordinating discussion

1. Charlie Schweik, University of Massachusetts, USA
2. Ari Jolma, Aalto University, Finland
3. Suchith Anand, University of Nottingham, UK
4. Lluís Vicens, SIGTE-University of Girona, Spain
5. Maria Brovelli, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
6. Rafael Moreno, University of Colorado Denver, USA
7. David Percy, Portland State University, USA
8. Massimiliano Cannata,SUPSI, Switzerland
9. Venkatesh Raghavan,OCU, Japan,
10. Helena Mitasova, North Carolina State University, USA

• ICA and ISPRS - several above members on their working groups too

Vision

Open source geospatial applications and projects can greatly contribute to effective education within post-secondary institutions. Likewise, institutions are able to help raise awareness of the open source geospatial options that are freely available. A successful Academic (or "Education"?) Network would see increased uptake of OSGeo technology and a strengthening of education outcomes for students by seeing them broaden their professional toolkits.

Mission

To draw academic institutions together as partners, under OSGeo's umbrella, with the goal of mutual support and encouragement while implementing collective programs and initiatives.

Values & Assumptions

Representatives of OSGeo and each partnering institution agree that:

1. Open source geospatial software serves an important part of post-secondary geographical (better terms here?) education
2. OSGeo's Academic Network is a central meeting place for like-minded institutions interested in promoting open soure geospatial software.
3. There are opportunities for further research, development and training in this field

Structure

The Academic Network is structured as a formal group of engaged institutional representatives working alongside OSGeo staff, directors and volunteers. The group is led by an elected Chairperson and decision-making occurs through consensus of all participants. A subset of internal or external representatives may be established as an Advisory Board.

Roles

• Chairperson - calls and plans meetings, discussion topics and is the primary contact back to the OSGeo Board and Members
• Participants - join discussions, seek opportunities to collaborate

key points of agreement