GEONATURA is a project under Strategic Partnership at Higher Educational Institutions for providing an eclectic and multidisciplinary formation by teaching & training activities on applied Geomatics for science & technology on engineering & management aspects. Background of university partners will be matched to benefit different audience levels considering the chosen main themes; sustainable development and environment, smart cities, climate change, renewable energy sources, social and socio environmental issues, sustainable agriculture, farming and forestry, land administration and built environment. Associate partners with background on GIS software and needs for geospatial work on all types of data are to be gathered on the initiative in all countries of partners (Portugal, UK- Scotland, Netherlands and Italy). Special focus prioritizing Azores territory is to be performed. The objective is the development of a common innovative educational package by university staffs to HEI students and qualified users on applied Geomatics specifically driven to subjects related to social, socio environmental and socioeconomic issues present on natural and built environment. This involves technology & science tools, for engineering & management applications. Purpose is is to enlarge knowledge of young adults on these fields aiming to help them on achieving smart job opportunities in market while contributing to their social inclusion. Also their growing global citizenship by absorbing philosophy of sustainable development is to be provided . Certification of approved students is contemplated giving referral to these participants for job opportunities in market while motivating them for sustainable self-learning by several OER e-learning platform enlarging the net citizens community in Geomatics and related matters. About 430 HEI graduate students candidates will be involved, from which 160 are directly selected by partnered universities. Actually 40 per partners distributed in 4 seasonal rounds (Spring and Autumn of 2018 and 2019). They will be motivated for Geomatics application to societal values to acquire specific professional expertise to access job opportunities in market. A special remark and control is made for insertion of 20% participants evidencing needs for social inclusion. Sequential activities are contemplated distributed on three stages; stages 1A and 1B) Introductory preparation on fundamentals of Geomatics and GIS, as well as its current applications and framework, for beginners and selection; stage 2) blended learning mobility connected to multiplier events; stage 3) remote on line intensive training for consolidation of apprenticeship followed by initial assistance to certificated participants after examination and approval. These three stages will be repeated four times (Rounds 1 to 4) in Spring / Autumn 2018 and 2019 respectively. Methodology is referred to innovative high tech e-learning packages using MOOCs and GIS software, web site, OER platform, MIRIADA X, connection to social networks, applicable in desk tops, notebooks, tablets or smart phones. The methodology will insert modules on a proper way with innovative applications on IoT, data mining and on line animation of geo-spatial data for several and Geomatics features. The priority is to gather experiences on applicable subjects connected to sustainability issues aiming to widen an eclectic academic perception on natural resources engineering & management with environmental compliance through information and know-how exchange among partner universities exhibiting different but complementary expertise. Impacts on 4 groups of HEI students on each country (Portugal, Netherlands, Scotland - UK, and Italy) with proficiency on applied Geomatics able to achieve the labor market with their new professional capabilities. Connection to several Internet network resources and tools is envisaged to enlarge overall self learning on GIS applications to societal issues under sustainable basis. Immediate enlargement of this net community by enlarging the number of users in the customized OER e-learning platform which will remain freely available for all in cloud-based terms. This is a reference to support for common initiatives in GIS community promoting EU initiatives for the establishment of thematic networks approaching academia to government and corporations. Expected benefits are; a) the enlargement of beneficiaries to 3.700 in 5 years to form a lucid and skilled community dealing with Geomatics in real problems of society becoming active in projects, research, or community and government action programs, b) the matching of this community to 10 or more e-learning or scientific platforms to improve their awareness and capabilities on cross-crossing matters to deal with real problems involving inventory, diagnosis, solutions, planning, executive actions, feed-back, and improvement.
GEONATURA provided an eclectic and multidisciplinary formation by teaching & training activities on geograpic information systems (GIS) applied to social and environmental issues. Background of university partners was matched to benefit different audience levels considering the selected main themes: sustainable development and environment, smart cities, climate change, renewable energy sources, sustainable agriculture, farming and forestry, land administration and built environment. Associated partners with background on GIS were gathered on the initiative in the partner countries of partners (Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, University of Glasgow, UK- Scotland, TU Delft, Netherlands and University of Florence, Italy). The objective was the development of a common innovative educational package by university staffs to HEI students and qualified users on GIS applications to subjects related to environmental and socioeconomic issues present on the natural and built environment. This involved technology & science tools, for engineering & management applications with the purpose of enlarging knowledge of young adults on these fields aiming to help them on achieving smart job opportunities while contributing to their awareness on these topics. Certification of approved students was contemplated giving referral to these participants for job opportunities in market while motivating them for sustainable self-learning by several OER e-learning platform enlarging the net citizens community in Geomatics and related matters. A total of 160 students were directly selected by partnered universities to attend a joint week-course delivered by professor of the involved HEIs in each of the 4 rounds held at each university (Spring and Autumn of 2018 and 2019). During these courses, the students were motivated for learning how to use GIS in the areas covered by Geonatura and to acquire specific professional expertise to access job opportunities in these topcis. Each round comprised sequential activities distributed on three stages - stage 1) Introductory preparation on fundamentals of GIS, as well as its current applications and framework for beginners and selection of 10 best students to participate in BLM; - stage 2) blended learning mobility connected to multiplier events which involved several companies and public organizations; - stage 3) remote online intensive training through a MOOC for consolidation of apprenticeship followed by initial assistance to certificated participants after examination and approval. This project is a reference to support for common initiatives in GIS community promoting EU initiatives for the establishment of thematic networks approaching academia to government and corporations.