2020 International Training Workshop on Earth Observation for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries Held in Beijing

The International Training Workshop on Earth Observation for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries was held in Beijing on October 19, 2020 to train young scholars, government officials and technical experts from relevant international organizations and countries in the field of Earth observation.

From October 18 to 30, the training courses were carried out combining "on-site + online" teaching approaches. A total of 17 trainees from 12 countries including Botswana, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sudan, and Venezuela attended the on-site courses, meanwhile 252 students from 24 countries signed up the online courses.

This training workshop was organized by National Engineering Laboratory for Satellite Remote Sensing Applications under the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), jointly sponsored by the CAS Bureau of International Cooperation and AIR, and co-organized by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Asia-Oceania Group on Earth Observations (AOGEO) as well as the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA).

The training workshop were organized around the theme of the sustainable development of Earth observation services and the lectures on Earth observation data for agriculture, disasters, ecological environment, among others.

The trainees paid a visit to the China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station and the Huailai Remote Sensing Comprehensive Test Site, where they learned the reception and processing of remote sensing data and the measurement of ground observation data. They also visited the industry's leading companies focusing on industry applications and development.

AOGEO, since its inception, has been devoted to the capacity building of the region by organizing a series of international training courses in China, Nepal, Laos, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries to improve the understanding of satellite remote sensing data processing and multi-field applications in these countries.

The workshop series have been highly recognized by the involved countries and welcomed by the trainees. The training courses focused on the scientific issues affecting long-term stability and sustainable development of the region, with an aim to cultivate aerospace information technology and research management talents for developing countries, and to establish long-term international exchange and cooperation with “Belt and Road” countries.