Geo for All

Website of Geo for All: http://www.geoforall.org/
== Introduction ==
The ICA-OSGeo Lab network is a joint initiative of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) and the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and a follow-up of their joint Memorandum of Understanding. The ICA and OSGeo Presidents will be the co-chairs and permanent members of the Advisory Board. Others will have a 3 year term starting date of the Advisory Board being constituted (1 Dec 2013). The Advisory Board has brought together an excellent range of expertise (academia, government, industry) and geographical distribution (we have nearly all continents covered). It also brought together members from other key communities ISPRS, AGILE, INSPIRE, UNIGIS and others which will make sure is it a fully inclusive global initiative. The Advisory Board will meet once every six months by telemeeting and AB members will keep an eye on the developments and provide strategic advice to the initiative through various forums.
== Background ==
While there has been tremendous growth in geospatial technology over the last few decades, the number of universities offering courses in geospatial science has not kept pace. Free and open geographic information (GI) software helps make geospatial education available to students from economically poor backgrounds worldwide (removing the need for high cost proprietary GI software). Our key aim is to make it possible for students in developing and poor countries to be also able to get geospatial education. This initiative will bring more opportunities for geospatial education worldwide. Over 50 Open Source Geospatial Labs have already been established in universities around the world as part of this initiative in just two year’s time, and we will be establishing over 100 research labs worldwide by September 2014.
== Latest Updates ==
Suchith Anand adds updates here.
== Future Plans ==
ICA and OSGeo aim to have over 500 labs established worldwide in the next five years making Geo for All the biggest geospatial education and research network on the planet. With the Advisory Board the Geo for All initiative has a good team of experts to guide us for the future. 
== Advisory Board ==
http://www.geoforall.org/advisory_board/
* Professor Georg Gartner (ICA President & co-chair)
* Jeff McKenna (OSGeo President & co-chair)
* Professor Josef Strobl
* Professor Marguerite Madden
* Professor Mike Jackson
* Sven Schade
* Gavin Fleming
* Sergio Acosta y Lara
* Dr Chris Pettit
* Professor Venkatesh Raghavan
* Geoff Zeiss
* Jeroen Ticheler
* Phillip Davis
* Arnulf Christl
* Professor Maria Brovelli
* Dr Rafael Moreno
== Regional Chairs ==
North America Region
Chairs: Helena Mitasova (USA), Charles Schweik (USA), Phillip Davis (USA)
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Webpage at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_North_America
Contact emails : cschweik@pubpol.umass.edu; hmitaso@ncsu.edu ; pdavis@delmar.edu
South America Region
Chairs: Sergio Acosta y Lara (Uruguay) and Silvana Camboim (Brazil)
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Webpage at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_South_America
Contact emails : sergio.acostaylara@mtop.gub.uy;silvanacamboim@gmail.com
Africa Region
Chairs: Rania Elsayed Ibrahim (Egypt), Serena Coetzee (South Africa) and Bridget Fleming (South Africa)
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Webpage at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_Africa
Contact emails : bridget@afrispatial.co.za;serenacoetzee@gmail.com; ranyaalsayed@gmail.com
Asia Region (including Australia)
Chairs: Tuong Thuy Vu (Malaysia/Vietnam) and Venkatesh Raghavan (Japan/India)
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Webpage at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_Asia
Contact emails: raghavan@media.osaka-cu.ac.jp;Tuongthuy.Vu@nottingham.edu.my
Europe Region
Chairs: Maria Brovelli (Italy) and Anne Ghilsa (Germany)
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Webpage at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_Europe
Contact emails: maria.brovelli@polimi.it; a.ghisla@gmail.com
== Subject/Language Thematic Chairs ==
Urban Science - City Analytics Thematic
Theme Leaders - Chris Pettit (Australia) and Patrick Hogan (USA)
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Website at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_UrbanScience_CityAnalytics
Contact emails: cpettit@unimelb.edu.au ; patrick.hogan@nasa.gov
Teacher Training & School Education thematic
Theme Leaders - Elżbieta Wołoszyńska-Wiśniewska (Poland) and Adrian Manning (UK)
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Website at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_TeacherTraining_SchoolEducation
Contact emails: j.d.w.m@btinternet.com ; ela@gridw.pl
Spanish thematic
Theme Leaders - Sergio Acosta y Lara (Uruguay) and Antoni Pérez Navarro (Spain)
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Website at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GeoForAll_Spanish
Contact emails: sergio.acostaylara@mtop.gub.uy; aperezn@uoc.edu
Geocrowdsourcing/CitizenScience thematic
Theme Leaders - Peter Mooney (Ireland) and Maria A Brovelli (Italy)
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Website at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Geocrowdsourcing_CitizenScience_FOSS4G
Contact emails: petermooney78@gmail.com; maria.brovelli@polimi.it
AgriGIS thematic
Theme Leaders - Didier, G. Leibovici (UK) and Nobusuke Iwasaki (Japan)
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Website at http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Agrigis
Contact emails: didier.leibovici@nottingham.ac.uk; wata909@gmail.com
== Strategic Level contact ==
For any Global or strategic level queries please contact Suchith Anand (email - suchith_anand@yahoo.com )