| ************************************* T O P I C S ******************************************
1. Vietnam establishes Space Technology Institute -- April 3, 2007
2. International Conference on Water and Flood Management
(ICWFM-2007) Bangladesh-- March 12-14, 2007
3. Government Urged To Set Up Bangladesh Space Agency
4. Regional Training/Workshop on "Earthquake Vulnerability
and Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment", Nepal -- March
5 - 16, 2007
5. Thailand's Top Water Rocket Championship #1 -- March
18, 2007
6. 3rd Asian Space Conference, Singapore -- March 21 -
23, 2007
7. [[Event Information and APRSAF Website Updates - March
- April - May 2007]]
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Vietnam establishes Space Technology Institute
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hanoi, Vietnam - April 3, 2007
Established under Government's decision, the Space Technology
Institute (STI) was inaugurated on April 3, 2007. The
institute, belonging to the Vietnamese Academy of Science
and Technology (VAST), was made to become the nation's
leading research center for space technology, especially
for developing satellite technology, researching and
manufacturing space-related equipment, remote sensing
technology and its applications, and space dynamics.
Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, Vice Director of STI, mentioned at
the STI opening ceremony that "Vietnam has early recognized
the significance of science and technology. In July 1980,
the first Vietnamese astronaut Pham Tuan took part in a
cosmic flight and carried out scientific experiments in
outer space. In recent years, many science and space technology
achievements have been applied in our country, especially
in communication, hydrometeorology, remote sensing, and
GPS. In order to promote the space technology applications
to our sustainable socio-economic development, in June
2006, our Prime Minister has approved "Strategy for
space technology research and application by 2020" and
in November 20, 2006, Prime Minister signed to establish
the STI. On implementation of the Strategy, the VAST President
Dr. Dang Vu
Minh signed to define the STI functions, mission, policy
and organization. For such reasons, STI is very happy to
hold this opening ceremony today."
Full text of the article available at:
APRSAF Hot Topics:
http://www.aprsaf.org/feature/feature_04.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. International Conference on Water and Flood Management (ICWFM-2007) Bangladesh
-- March 12-14, 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Conference on Water and Flood Management
(ICWFM-2007), held from March 12 to 14, 2007, focused on
integrated approach to water and flood management to address
issues such as increasing water use efficiency, improving
water resources system performance, preserving environmental
quality and ensuring equity and social justice in decision
making process. The conference was organized by the Institute
of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) of Bangladesh University
of Engineering, Technology (BUET), Water Resources Planning
Organization (WARPO), Bangladesh Water Development Board
(BWDB) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED)
with approximately 200 participants from 16 countries from
all over the world.
Dr. A.K.M Saiful Islam and Dr. Mohammad Asad Hussain,
organizing secretaries of ICWFM-2007 commented about the
effect of the conference:
"
The advances in information and communication technology
provide opportunities for developing tools for the prediction
of impacts of water management decisions on development
goals. There is a need for concerted effort to identify
appropriate water policies, strategies and management practices
to achieve sustainable solutions to water and flood management
problems. We hope that ICWFM-2007 succeeded in bringing
together academicians, researchers, professionals, decision
makers and policy makers for an exchange of views and experiences
on water and flood management".
ICWFM2007 website:
http://teacher.buet.ac.bd/icwfm/index.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Government Urged to set up Bangladesh Space Agency
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a meeting of the executive committee of Bangladesh
Astronomical Society held in its office on April 3, 2007,
the speakers urged the government to immediately set up
the Bangladesh Space Agency under the Ministry of Science
to create opportunities for space education and space awareness
among the students as well as the general public in the
country. They contended that space is going to be a very
potential industry in the near future that will provide
enormous opportunities of jobs and business for which about
42 countries around the world have already set up Space
Agencies to reap its benefits.
The meeting resolved that Bangladesh Space Agency must
be created immediately for space research and to actively
participate in the space race; otherwise, Bangladesh will
be lagging far behind of it like its blunder made by refusing
the connection of a submarine cable network in the nineties.
Among those who spoke in the meeting were the president
of the society Dr. A. R. Khan, the former professor of
Department of Applied Physics of University of Dhaka Dr.
AKM Aminul Haque, the vice-president and former vice-chancellor
of Bangladesh Agricultural University Dr. KM Serajul Islam,
the vice-president and former director of the Science Museum
Dr. Mobarak Ali Akand, the treasurer and former chairman
of the Education Board Comilla Dr. Ali Asgar, EC member
and former head of the Physics Department of Bangladesh
University of Science & Technology, and the general
secretary and national coordinator in Bangladesh for the
World Space Week Association and also member of the Space
Education and Awareness Working Group, Asia-Pacific Regional
Space Agency Forum, Mr. F. R. Sarker. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Regional Training/Workshop on "Earthquake Vulnerability and Multi-Hazard
Risk Assessment", Nepal -- March 5 - 16, 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD), located in Himalayan region, served eight member
countries, organized a two-week regional training/workshop
on Earthquake Vulnerability and Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment
during March 5 - 16, 2007 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
With its objectives of building the capacity of national
institutions to utilize geospatial tools (GIS/RS/GPS) for
multi-hazard risk assessment and mapping as well as of
raising the awareness of said tools for disaster preparedness
and mitigation, 29 participants from four of the ICIMOD
Regional Member Countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal and
Pakistan) gathered in the workshop. It consisted of a series
of lectures and hands-on exercises group tasks and project
work on earthquake vulnerability and multi-hazard risk
assessment using geospatial tools and techniques. Much
of the course materials were drawn from real-ground situations
and emphasized the use of geospatial tools. The various
methods were based on ground data from earthquake studies.
ICIMOD website:
http://www.icimod.org/home/news/news.content.php?nid=49
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Thailand's Top Water Rocket Championship #1 -- March 18, 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thailand PET-Bottled Rocket Club, Saraburiwitthayakhom
School Water Rocket Club and the Geo-Informatics and Space
Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) organized the first
Thailand's Top Water Rocket Championship on March 18, 2007
at the Cavalry Center's tank's firing range in Saraburi
Province.
The main aim of this event is to inspire and stimulate
the interest of students, teachers, and general public
in PET-bottled rockets, resulting in their increase awareness
of space sciences and utilization of PET-bottled rockets
as a scientific tool. The event organizers are expecting
to establish a higher level of competition in the future,
and they are planning to hold more water rocket championships
every year.
Dr. Pitan Singhasaneh of Marketing and Public Relations
of GISTDA, commented, "It is amazing how much we have accomplished
in this event, which proofs that "There is no "I" in "TEAMWORK".
Everyone worked and played hard in a friendly atmosphere
without belligerence. I do believe that all of the participants
went home with satisfaction not because they got the prizes,
but because each of them has contributed to be a part of
the best water rocket event of the year 2007".
The event was sponsored by Asia Access Co., Ltd. and Rocket
Four Co., Ltd.
Full text of the article available at:
APRSAF Hot Topics
http://www.aprsaf.org/feature/feature_03.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. 3rd Asian Space Conference, Singapore -- March 21 - 23, 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Asian Space Conference 2007 was the third in a series
of successful international conferences emphasizing space
related activities in Asia. The main aim of this conference
was to provide a forum for individuals involved in space
study, and other related fields of the humanities and social
sciences to present their work in a conference setting.
At this conference, the participators discussed and shared
information and knowledge of space applications to solve
common problems of sustainable economic growth, poverty
alleviation, social stability, and disaster mitigation.
Dr. Timo Bretschneider of Nanyang Technological University
delivered the following message at the conference:
"
It is our great pleasure to host the ASC for the first
time in Singapore following the two very successful previous
conferences in Thailand, and in Vietnam. The organizing
and program committee have made every possible effort to
assemble an excellent mix of technical papers and special
sessions to cover the scope of space engineering and technology
as well as relevant topics in humanities and social sciences.
The participants were not only from Asian countries but
also from Europe and the United States and it was a conference
over a large areas. At the exhibition booths, you can see
how to use the space technology. There is also an art exhibition
and you may enjoy planetarium-based artwork. I believe
that this conference is very significant and contributive
to space technology development in Asian region. In addition,
even young generations (students) participate in the conference
to learn and make presentations about the space technology.
We sincerely hope that this conference could contribute
to future space technology in Asian region."
Asian Space Conference website:
http://pdcc.ntu.edu.sg/ASC2007/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. [[Event Information and APRSAF Website Update - April - June 2007]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* May 2-6, 2007
GeoHab 2007 - Marine Benthic Habitats of the Pacific and
Other Oceans: Status, Use, and Management
Noumea, New Caledonia
http://www.circum-pacificcouncil.org/Circular-RegForm.pdf
* May 5-9, 2007
5th International Conference on Research, Innovation & Vision
for the Future (RIVF' 07) Information & Communication
Technologies
Hanoi, Vietnam
http://www.rivf.org/
* May 14-18, 2007
Spatial Sciences Institute Biennial International Conference
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
http://www.ssc2007.com/
* May 15-18, 2007
5th Taipei International Digital Earth Symposium - TIDES
2007
Taipei, Taiwan
http://deconf.pccu.edu.tw/2007/en-info.htm
* May 21-25, 2007
CEOS SGISS-23 Plenary Meeting & Remote Sensing Workshop
Hanoi Vietnam
http://www.wgiss23.com/
* June 12-13, 2007
Location India 2007, 3rd International Conference and Exhibition
on Vehicle Tracking, Location Intelligence and Surveying
Bangalore, India
http://www.location.net.in/india/index.htm
* June 12-15, 2007
13th PCGIAP Annual Meeting
Seoul, Korea
* June 14-16, 2007
RAST 2007 3rd International Conference on Recent Advances
in Space Technologies
Istanbul, Turkey
http://www.rast.org.tr/
* June 20-27, 2007
Geoinformation Forum Japan 2007
Yokohama, Japan
http://www.jsurvey.jp/eng-geoforum2006.htm
+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+=
Copyright 2007 The APRSAF Secretariat
APRSAF Secretariat
c/o. Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan
Roppongi First Bldg. 12F, 1-9-9 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
106-0032,
Japan
Tel:+81-3-5572-6708 / Fax:+81-3-5572-6707 | 
