From July 3 to 16, 2019, Jingfeng Huang, the professor of Institute of Agricultural Remote Sensing and Information Technology Application in Zhejiang University, led Dr. Lingbo Yang, master student Wenjie Li and Yan Chen to attend the summer school of GIS and Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forestry and Ecology (SUFOGIS) in cooperation with EU at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. During the summer school, they participated in various activities such as introduction of academic achievements, course training and field investigation, which helped them have a deep exchange with experts and students from EU countries, China, Russia and other countries’ participants. This activity was supported by the EU Capacity-Building projects in the field of Higher Education (CBHE）and Short-Term Overseas Academic Exchange Program for PhD students of Zhejiang University.

The aim of SUFOGIS project is to promote the application of GIS & RS technology in the field of sustainable forestry and ecology. By sharing the most cutting-edge technology in related fields, the project will expand the technical exchange between EU and countries such as China and Russia in the field of GIS and RS technology, promote the cooperation between research institutions and companies in the transformation of intellectual property, and improve the technical research level and scientific literacy of Scientists in the field of GIS & RS for sustainable forestry and ecology through the regular video seminars, annual summer school, research cases and international conference.

The summer school was based on case training. Experts from EU, China, Russia and other countries in the field of GIS & RS shared their research achievements and trained for participants. The training contents mainly included the application of SAR data in forestry and ecosystem, application and data processing using ESA satellite platform, forest cover interference fire assessment model, GIS forestry data management and analysis, etc. Prof. Huang of Zhejiang University made a report on Vegetation Parameters Estimation Using Remote Sensing Data during the training, also introduced high-resolution crop growth parameter inversion and vegetation parameter inversion based on polarized scattering light to the experts and students.

Prof. Huang made a report on Vegetation Parameters Estimation

Using Remote Sensing Data during the training

In addition, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki organized experts and students to visit some scientific research centers and enterprises, such as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Taxiarchis University Forest, Forest Research Institute, the Interbalkan Environment Center, and Geoanalysis S.A. They introduced the GIS&RS research cases on sustainable development and university-enterprise cooperation mode, which can provide new ideas for the follow-up international exchange and knowledge transformation of the project.

Professors in SUFOGIS summer school

In order to promoting the academic exchange and cooperation of GIS & RS in the field of sustainable forestry and ecology, Prof. Huang from Zhejiang University will hold relevant international conference in October of 2020, Hangzhou.

The Chinese experts who attended the summer school also included Prof. Jinming Sha from Fujian Normal University and Prof. Xiuzhen Wang from Hangzhou Normal University. Foreign universities and research institutions included Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki、die Berater® Unternehmensberatung GmbH、University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences、University of Eastern Finland、European Forest Institute、OY Arbonaut Ltd、Volga State University of Technology、Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences、Bashkir State Agrarian University, etc.