The GIS Centre in the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway has been officially launched. ‘GIS’, Geographical Information System and/or Science, covers both technology and a rapidly growing science. It is used for analysing spatial data in many sectors of society, ranging from economics, government, business, and environmental management. The most popular applications of GIS in society are Google Earth and GPS navigation systems.
Dr Chaosheng Zhang, Head of the GIS Centre at NUI Galway, says: “This is a milestone for the University. We have received wide support from all colleges of the University and I am confident that the GIS Centre will grow quickly.”
Director of NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute, Professor Colin Brown, comments: “The GIS Centre is already beginning to affect the way our researchers collaborate across a wide range of topic areas. We have developed an expertise that allows us to provide practical training courses for our researchers and any clients, inside or outside NUI Galway, with an interest in GIS.”
The launch of the GIS Centre was sponsored by Ordnance SurveyIreland(OSi)Ireland’s National Mapping Agency and Supermap, a leading GIS company from China. As part of the GIS Centre launch NUI Galway launched its new MapGenie web map service, an exciting new online service from OSi which gives online access to mapping and imagery.
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At the launch of NUI Galway’s GIS Centre were (l-r): Professor Ershun Zhong, CEO of SuperMap; Professor Colin Brown, Director of Ryan Institute; Geraldine Ruane, Chief Executive of OSi; Professor Nollaig Mac Conaáil, Registrar and Deputy President of NUI Galway; and Dr Chaosheng Zhang, Head, GIS Centre, NUI Galway.