ISPRS Council Meeting in Bangalore, India, February/March 1998

MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING
BANGALORE, INDIA
28 February - 1 March 1998


Council Attendees

President:              Lawrence Fritz (LF)
Secretary General:      John Trinder (JT)
First Vice President:   Shunji Murai (SM)
Second Vice President:  Marcio Barbosa (MB)
Congress Director:      Klaas Beek (KB)
Treasurer:              Heinz Ruether (HR)

In attendance
President of Commission VI:            Lukman Aziz (LA)
Journal Editor:                        Emmanuel Baltsavias (EB)(Item 5.1, 7.2)
Honorary Member:                       Gottfried Konecny (GK)
Education Task Force representatives:  Thelma Krug (TK) (Item 10.1) Assistant to MB
                                       Tania Sausen (TS) (Item 10.1) Chair of WG VI/1

AGENDA

  1. Opening (LF)
  2. Approval of Agenda (LF)
  3. Review of previous Council meetings in Brazil (JT)
  4. Actions of Council (JT)
  5. ISPRS Publications
    1. Journal (LF/EB)
    2. Editorial Board Approval (EB)
    3. Bulletin (JT)
    4. Home Page (JT)
    5. 5.5 Archives
  6. Amsterdam Congress (KB)
    1. Plans
    2. ISPRS display
  7. Awards
    1. Policy
    2. Helava Award
    3. Cassinis Award
    4. Fagundes Award
  8. Review of Technical Commissions (LF/JT)
    1. Annual Report
    2. Working Groups
    3. Symposia, tutorials and other meetings
  9. ISPRS Membership (JT)
    1. Ordinary Members
    2. Associate Members
    3. Sustaining Members
    4. Regional Members
  10. Policy Discussions
    1. Educational Opportunities Program (MB)
    2. Communications Task Force
    3. Other
  11. Financial Commission report
  12. Financial Affairs (HR)
    1. Treasurer's report
  13. Council Activities Reports (Council)
    (Council to provide reports in writing at the meeting)
  14. Inter-Organizational Activities (LF/JT)
    1. COPUOS - UNISPACE III
    2. CIPA
    3. CEOS
    4. ICSU
    5. ICET/UATI
    6. Standards
    7. Others
  15. Plans for Strategic Planning Meeting
  16. Other Business
  17. Next Meeting (JT)
  18. Adjournment

MINUTES


1. Opening

President Fritz welcomed all Council to the Meeting and thanked them for attending. He also thanked the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for hosting the meeting and providing the excellent facilities.

2. Approval of Agenda

The agenda was approved.


3. Review of previous Council meetings in Brazil

Several items of information were added to the agenda books following completion of the following actions:

  • Response from Professor Ray Harris to the letter from ICSU on the policies on access to data (Action 97/107)
  • New Terms of Reference for Sustaining Members (Action: 97/96) - now added to the Home Page.
  • New brochure on Benefits of ISPRS Membership (Action: 97/28)

4. Actions of Council

29 actions items were completed, 4 were overcome by events (OBE).

Results of discussions on action items:

Action 98/120: LA to contact UN ESCAP in Bangkok to propose a UN related meeting at the Commission VI Symposium.

Young authors awards and CATCOM:

SM has guaranteed to provide funds for 5 Young Authors Awards and also for CATCOM, while KB will provide free registration for these award winners. ISPRS will also guarantee funds for an additional 5 Young Authors Awards if additional donors are not forthcoming.

Action 98/121: SM to write letter to TCPs requesting contributions for funding Young Authors awards from proceeds of Symposia or similar events.


5. ISPRS Publications

5.1 Journal

Council met for several hours with the Editor-in-Chief during 26-27 February. Discussions indicated that the Journal is operating well. Proposed topics for special Journal issues were discussed and it was decided by Council that ISPRS Highlights and not the Journal is the appropriate forum for papers about social issues. Theme issues have been identified by five Commissions. Commissions I and IV have yet to submit their proposals. The gratis exchange of advertisements between the Journal and ISPRS Highlights is a problem. The search for a new Journal cover is being assigned by the Editor to an Editorial Board member. A new brochure has been prepared for publishing the Journal. A report has been prepared for the Annual Report and will be printed in ISPRS Highlights.

 

5.2 Editorial Board Approval

All except one member of the Editorial Board have been confirmed. Council approved these appointments.

Action 98/122: JT to contact EB on the outstanding member of the Editorial Board

 

5.3 Bulletin

A report on the progress of publication of ISPRS Highlights was given by JT.

An editor should be appointed to collect timely news items and edit the information to be published in ISPRS Highlights.

Action 98/123: HR to draft advertisement for an 'International News Editor' for ISPRS Highlights

 

5.4 Home Page

A report on the Home Page was included in the agenda books and will be published in ISPRS Highlights as part of the Annual Report. It was agreed that a job exchange should be incorporated into the Home Page for advertising international job opportunities.

New Guidelines for ISPRS Home Pages have been prepared by WG VI/4, following comments from several persons. Comments by Council are requested by the end of March before the Guidelines are finalized.

Action 98/124: Council to send comments on Home Page Guidelines to JT.

Action 98/125: JT to set up an ISPRS Job Exchange on Home Page at UNSW.

 

5.5 Archives

Action 98/126: JT to remind TCPs to follow Guidelines for Printing of Archives

It was agreed that only 10 copies of proceedings of Workshops, Seminars and Tutorials which are published as a volume of ISPRS Archives, should be sent to RICS in future.

Action 98/127: JT to change guidelines for Workshop, Seminars and Tutorials proceedings and notify WG chairs.

Council approves the publication of proceedings of ISPRS sponsored Workshops on CDROMs only.

Action 98/128: JT to negotiate contract with RICS Books for the sale of Archives on CDROMs.

Action 98/129: JT and KB to liaise on the design of a cover for Archives on CDROMs.

The previous decision of Council that hardcopy editions of the Archives should be printed for the Amsterdam Congress was endorsed. It was agreed that a common cover design and software access package should be established.


6. Amsterdam Congress (KB)

6.1 Plans

The first announcement for the Congress has been printed in 40,000 copies and will be distributed widely to Members, and a large mailing list of interested persons. The Exhibition brochure will be produced after the Sustaining Members' meeting. Professional organisers have been appointed to manage the Congress.

Sponsors are being sought to bring participants from developing countries to the Congress. The structure of the Congress will be based on general themes with participation from cooperating organisations, policy and decision makers, and industry representatives. Some suggestions for theme topics were presented at the meeting. Specific topics for the WGs will also be planned. The willingness of TCPs to cooperate with this scheme will be required. A list of proposals for topics of theme sessions will be distributed to TCPs prior to the JM in September and discussed with them at the meeting. Suggested topics of the theme sessions will be circulated to Council by June for comment. Oral sessions will be selective, while poster sessions will concentrate on WG activities.

Action 98/130: KB to solicit themes from TCPs and Council before June 1998

Plans for the sessions at the Congress will be determined in consultation with TCPs at the JM in Stuttgart, under the direction of KB.

 

6.2 ISPRS display

KB will investigate the preparation of a permanent poster for ISPRS and the Congress, for display at other meetings, with the cost shared between the Congress and ISPRS.


7. Awards

7.1 Policy

The new policy on ISPRS Awards was approved with minor additions as given in Attachment A. 'Intrinsic value' of the award was set at Swf 2,500. 'Long term commitment' was defined to be 12 years.

Action 98/131: JT to write to donors asking for help in obtaining nominees for awards

The new Awards brochure should include the name of the most recent winner of each award. The history of the awards is on the Web. New awards will be added to the brochure as soon as they are approved.

 

7.2 Helava Award

The conditions of the Helava award were approved. The Editor will act as secretary for the jury, without voting rights.

 

7.3 Cassinis Award

The draft conditions of the proposed Cassinis Award were discussed and modified as appropriate so that they do not overlap with other awards. The donor of the award, Italian Society for Surveying and Photogrammetry (SIFET), will be informed of the new guidelines of ISPRS Awards, Council's suggested amendments to the award conditions and requested to resubmit.

Action 98/132: JT to inform SIFET of Council's decision on the proposed Cassinis Award

 

7.4 Fagundes Award

The donor of the proposed Fagundes Award, INPE, will be informed of the new guidelines of ISPRS Awards and requested to resubmit. There will be no further developments to the conditions of the award until 1999. New conditions will be submitted in accordance with ISPRS Policy by MB, with a short lead time for the determination of award winners.

Action 98/133: MB to resubmit revised ToR for the Fagundes Award


8. Review of Technical Commissions

8.1 Annual Report

Annual Report submissions have been received from Commissions I, V and VI. These reports will be published in the Annual Report Part I in the January edition of ISPRS Highlights, and distributed in March/April. Reports of Commissions II, III, IV and VII will appear in the April edition of ISPRS Highlights.

 

8.2 Working Groups

A list of recent communications on WG activities which has been received by JT was presented. It will be included in ISPRS Highlights.

 

8.3 Symposia, tutorials and other meetings

  1. The brochure and details of the Commission VI Symposium were presented at the meeting by Technical Commission VI President, Dr Lukman Aziz. Brochures for the call for papers are being distributed at present. Comments were made by Council on the proposed program. Overall, Council were very satisfied with the proposals for tutorials and technical sessions of the Symposium. An estimated 60 participants from Indonesia and 40 from overseas are expected to attend. The President of Commission VI was requested to link information on the Symposium to ISPRS Home Page.
  2. Commission V President (HC) has asked whether the Commission V Symposium should include submitted papers which are outside the terms of reference of Commission V, for presentation at the Symposium and inclusion in the Archives. Council agreed that such papers should only be allowed to be included in Symposia organised by developing countries. This decision will be covered by the addition of a statement in the guidelines for TCPs.

    Action 98/134: JT to prepare new statement in Guidelines for Symposia in developing countries

    LF will request WGs IV/4 and VII/3 to organise an ISPRS sponsored conference for decision makers in Latin America on 'benefits of new sensor systems', to be held in 1999. Gottfried Konecny has offered to lead the organisation of the meeting with co-sponsorship proposed from OOSA, UNDP, CEOS, PAIGH and SELPER. A proposal for this conference will be presented at a special UN WG meeting in Mexico in March 1998.

  3. It was noted that the Commission I Symposium was successful and noteworthy as the first ISPRS Symposium to be held in India. Over 200 attendees including 80 from overseas participated. Also, noteworthy was the very impressive session on CEOS activities.

9. ISPRS Membership

9.1 Ordinary Members

Discussion was held on appropriate actions on Ordinary Members that are non-responsive and are financially in arrears. It was agreed that 6 Ordinary Members should no longer receive ISPRS Highlights. MB will investigate members in arrears in Latin America; HR will investigate those in Africa. SM will also attempt to attract a new member organisation from Vietnam and assess the status in one year.

Action 98/135: JT to inform Council of attendance at the Vienna Congress of representatives from Ordinary Members in arrears

Council are unable to attend the 100 year conference celebration of surveying and photogrammetry in Croatia, but will seek an official representative.

Action 98/136 : JT to ask Karl Kraus to represent ISPRS and send information to him on ISPRS for distribution at the meeting

Council approved with appreciation, the request from China Taipei to upgrade their category of membership from 3 to 4. Council also approved the change of membership of Slovenia from the Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Planning (MEPP) to the Section of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the Association of Slovenia Surveyors.

 

9.2 Associate Members

No matters discussed

 

9.3 Sustaining Members

Council approved the new Sustaining Membership of LH Systems LLC.

 

9.4 Regional Members

No matters discussed

10. Policy Discussions

10.1 Educational Opportunities Program

MB and TK presented the current status of the pilot Educational Opportunities program. The timetable for the introduction of the educational opportunities program was given.

Council agreed on proposed members for permanent seats on the Education Opportunities Task Force.

Action 98/137: MB to draft letter of invitation to the recommended Task Force Members for transmission by President Fritz.

A lengthy discussion was held on the suitability of training centres and the manner in which they will be selected. MB will proceed with the inventory of appropriate training centres according to the timetable.

Draft sets of charts were provided by MB to LF and JT for presentations on ISPRS Educational Opportunities at the 1998 Commission Symposia.

Action 98/138: LF and JT to comment charts before they are finalised.

Chair of WG VI/1 Tania Sausen described the distance education program on the SELPER Home page, which is in Spanish and Portuguese. An English version will also be developed. Links should be established between the SELPER and ISPRS Home Pages.

Action 98/139: JT and TS to ensure links between SELPER and ISPRS Home Pages

Council agreed to support the Remote Sensing Core Curriculum (RSCC), being developed in USA and sponsored by ASPRS. It was recommended that Commission VI (WG VI/1) should cooperate with ASPRS in this program.

Action 98/140: LA to liaise with WG members to cooperate with RSCC program

 

10.2 Communications Task Force

Correspondence from Task Force Chair Keith Atkinson was tabled. Council is seeking persons to act as section editors for ISPRS Highlights to assist JT in its production. It was agreed to place an advertisement in ISPRS Highlights to attract editors.

 

10.3 Other

The US Department of Commerce has expressed an interest in establishing a formal relationship with ISPRS. Such a relationship could assist ISPRS in its aim to take a stronger role in the advocacy of issues in its areas of interest. The cooperation could enable ISPRS to provide forums for debates on such items as long term solutions of commercialisation, or the preparation of White Papers on issues related to space remote sensing.

Action 98/141: LF to arrange a meeting with Mr Keith Calhoun-Senghor of the US Department of Commerce in Washington in May 1998

Action 98/142: LF to prepare a draft MoU between ISPRS and the US Department of Commerce


11. Financial Commission Report

The Financial Commission report on the Treasurer's report for FY 1996 has been received and reviewed by Council.

It was agreed that the Commission's report in future should be submitted within a month of receiving the financial report from the Treasurer.

Action 98/143: JT to thank Financial Commission for its report

Action 98/144: HR to arrange signatures to finalise the financial report for FY 1996.


12. Financial Affairs

12.1 Treasurer's report

HR presented his report on the current status of ISPRS accounts and membership payments. Following discussion on the method of presentation of reports, it was resolved that a professional accountant should be sought for advice.

Action 98/145: HR to review the method of presentation of accounts to Council

In order that the budget can be formulated before the start of the FY on 1 April, it was agreed that:

Action 98/146: Budget details should be presented by Council to HR by 31 January of each year.


13. Council Activities Reports (Council)

Council reports were presented.

14. Inter-Organizational Activities

14.1 COPUOS - UNISPACE III

ISPRS submitted three UNISPACE III Background papers to OOSA, viz: Background Paper No 2 - Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in Monitoring, Prediction and Prevention of Environmental Disasters; Background Paper No 3 - Management of Earth Resources; and Background Paper No 7 - Commercial Aspects of Space Remote Sensing Including Spin-off Benefits.

Details received from UN OOSA of the UNISPACE III conference were presented. ISPRS has indicated that it wishes to participate in the workshop entitled Environment (and remote sensing). The timetable indicates that ISPRS must submit requests to make presentations and present posters at workshops and technical sessions by April/May 1999.

Regional meetings will be held in Asia in Malaysia in May 1998, and in Latin America in Chile in October 1998.

Action 98/147: MB to provide information on the Chile meeting to Council

 

14.2 CIPA

The ISPRS representatives on the CIPA Committee were selected as follows:
  • Peter Waldhauesl (Austria)
  • Jozef Jachimski (Poland)
  • Antonio Cheli (Argentina)
  • Petros Patias (Greece)
  • Edel Lundemo (Norway)
  • Hiro Chikatsu (Japan) or his nominee (ex-officio member)

Action 98/148: HR to inform the CIPA Secretary General of ISPRS recommendations

 

14.3 CEOS

ISPRS has been admitted to CEOS as an Affiliate. Council considers this to be an excellent development for ISPRS. LF and JT are to serve as Principal and Contact Points.

Action 98/149: JT to request Alan Belward and Takashi Moriyama to provide details of WGs of CEOS

CEOS WGs will be asked to participate in ISPRS activities and sessions at ISPRS Symposia and Congresses, as was the case at the Commission I Symposium. The ISPRS Congress should be announced in the CEOS newsletter. Relevant ISPRS WGs will be asked to participate in CAL/VAL and LISS WGs of CEOS.

Action 98/150: JT to provide CEOS with details for ISPRS Annual Report.

Action 98/151: KB to place information on the Congress in CEOS Newsletter

 

14.4 ICSU

ISPRS membership status of ICSU was discussed. JT has a submitted documentation on ISPRS activities.

 

14.5 ICET/UATI

Legal issues on which ISPRS could seek advice from UATI, should be sent when appropriate to the legal officer of UATI.

Action 98/152: Council to recommend legal matters on which advice can be sought from UATI

 

14.6 Standards

Council did not support the proposal, in its present form, submitted to ISO/TC 211 for a work item (ISO/TC 211 N477) on Qualification and Certification of Personnel. More information regarding its intent and effectiveness of its applicability is sought.

It was suggested that a paper on Competency Standards could be presented at the Commission VI Symposium in August 1998.

 

14.7 Others

An invitation has been received for ISPRS to attend the EUROGI meeting in March 1998. DF and GR will be asked to represent ISPRS.

Action 98/153: JT to request DF and GR to represent ISPRS at EUROGI meeting


15. Plans for Strategic Planning Meeting

The proposed date for the postponed Strategy Meeting is 1 to 3 May 1998 in Washington.

Action 98/154: Council to inform LF immediately of availability

Action 98/155: Council to provide a list of issues, problems and their solutions that require consideration at the Strategy Meeting


16. Other Business

Action 98/156: Council to update contact address, phone and fax numbers and E-mail address to JT

17. Next Meeting

The next CM will be held in Budapest from 5 to 6 September 1998, following the Commission VII Symposium. The JM will be held in Hotel Kloster Hirsau in Germany from 11-12 September 1998.

18. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 4.30 pm on 1 March 1998.
J. C. Trinder
March 1998

 

 
 
 
 
 
Logo

The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing is a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry and remote sensing and their applications. The Society operates without any discrimination on grounds of race, religion, nationality, or political philosophy.

Our Contact

ISPRS
c/o
Leibniz University Hannover
Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation
Nienburger Str. 1
D-30167 Hannover
GERMANY
Email: isprs-sg@isprs.org