FIG President visits Polish member association of surveyors

Warsaw, Poland, June 22-24, 2005

Click picture for bigger format.
Surveyor General of Poland Jerzy Albin gets as a gift the copy of FIG annual Review 2003-2005

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.

Click picture for bigger format.
President Magel awards President K. Czarnecki with the FIG globe.
 

Click picture for bigger format.
Two Presidents amidst of representatives of Warsaw surveyors students organisation GEOIDA

Click picture for bigger format.
President Magel writes under the assistance of President K. Czarnecki a dedication to jubileeing GUGIK

Click picture for bigger format.
President Magel addresses the assembly in the wonderful Royal Castle