On occasion of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Polish Head
Office of Geodesy and Cartography (GUGIK) on 23 June at the Royal Castle in
Warsaw FIG President Prof. Holger Magel visited the headquarters of
the FIG member association in Poland. A special highlight was a meeting with
representatives of Warsaw geodetic students association GEOIDA, who invited
the President to the International Geodetic Students Meeting (IGSM) in
Krakow next year. President Magel encouraged the young colleagues to join as
early as possible FIG conferences and to ask for funding by different
sponsors. He informed about the goal of FIG to offer at each conference a
special forum for students. Polish president Prof. Kazimierz Czarnecki
confirmed the ongoing support of his association for next professional
generation.
Another highlight of FIG President's visit was the participation to the
60th anniversary celebration of GUGIK. It is really impressive to recognize
that even before the official end of World War II this Head Office of
Geodesy and Cartography was established. FIG President was invited and asked
by the Surveyor General of Poland Jerzy Albin to address the
distinguished assembly with the chief of the cabinet of the President of
Poland Alexander Kwasniewski as the top representative of the
“official Poland”. Magel's speech was about surveyors indispensable identity
in a changing world (see
FIG website).
Finally Univ. Prof. Holger Magel gave a public lecture about “The new
paradigm in European policy: integrated rural development. Consequences for
geodetic education, research and practice” at the Faculty of Geodesy and
Cartography of one of the oldest European Technical Universities (founded
already in 1826!), the Warsaw University of Technology.
At the end of his visit President Magel was deeply impressed by the
situation, i.d. the high public reputation and extra ordinary attractiveness
(more than 100 graduates every year in Warsaw!) of our profession. The “west
European disease of geodesy” doesn’t (yet) happen in Poland. Therefore there
is no need for changing the names and thus endangering identity of geodesy
or surveying.
President Magel awards President
K. Czarnecki with the FIG globe. |
Two Presidents amidst of representatives of Warsaw surveyors students
organisation GEOIDA |
President Magel writes under the assistance of President K. Czarnecki a
dedication to jubileeing GUGIK |
President Magel addresses the assembly in the wonderful Royal Castle |