Summer School - Geospatial Technologies for Sustainable Water Management, 3-7 July 2017, Hungary

About the summer school 

With the recent adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the call by UN Secretary General for a “revolution” in the use of data for sustainable development, geospatial technologies have tremendous potential to effectively and efficiently monitor SDG progress. In the fifteen years since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the amount of data available, as well as data collection and processing methods have changed substantially.

Geospatial technologies and remote sensing offer a crucial location element to the monitoring of SDGs and their corresponding targets and indicators. The unprecedented “power of where” allows for unbiased observation and analysis across borders, administrative boundaries, and nations.

Yet there is still a gap between the technology world and the world of environmental decision- and policy-makers. Despite the tremendous potential geospatial technologies offer, there are still traditional fears among practitioners that prevent their uptake. Furthermore, these technologies are constantly changing and improving, making it even more difficult for practitioners to track the updates about the potential use and application of technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing.

This course is part of a series of “Bridging ICTs and the Environment” workshops that aim to address that gap: providing in-service education and professional training for environmental decision-makers and practitioners, who are in a position to greatly benefit from this data revolution to better shape management strategies and to make more informed, data-driven decisions.

The primary focus of this workshop is ICT application in water management and water security. It will cover a number of technologies including remote sensing, geospatial technologies, data publishing, and decision-support systems, among others. In particular, the role of satellite-based earth monitoring and remote sensing for environmental studies and management will be discussed, highlighting their potential and limitations. The course will contribute to disseminating recent research results and raising awareness about potential ICT benefits. The workshop provides a timely opportunity to get updated on the latest advances in geospatial technologies and remote sensing, and their application to the monitoring of water related SDGs.

The course will begin with a plenary session featuring presentations by the world ICT leaders (Google, Esri, etc) and practitioners (e.g. DG JRC and UNOOSA), setting the stage in applying geospatial technologies and highlighting the importance of “data revolution” in monitoring SDGs. The lessons learnt by participants from these theoretical sessions will be accompanied by practical sessions later during the week.

How To Apply

Please read the following directions carefully.

Below is the list of the documents you need to prepare or arrange for submission:

1. Completed online SUN Application Form
2. Full curriculum vitae or resume, including list of publications, if any
3. Statement of Purpose/ Motivation Letter (max 1 page)
4. Proof of English proficiency

Optional attachments:

• A cover letter (max. 1 page) to support application for financial aid (mandatory for those who wish to receive financial aid)

1. Online Application Form

SUN's Online Application Form, delivered by Embark, enables the online submission of the application form itself as well as all other relevant documentation, including CV's and resumes, letter of recommendation, statements of purpose and application essays (such as research proposal, case study, paper proposal, writing samples, academic records, etc.), eliminating all paper mailing to the SUN Office.

In addition, applicants will be able to use this system to track their progress and learn the outcome of their admissions evaluation online. Admissions decisions will be available to applicants as soon as they are entered into the system.

Please note that the online application system can only accept one course application. If however you are interested in participating in both the "Geospatial Technologies and Remote Sensing for Monitoring SDGs" summer school and the "Innovations in Disaster Risk Reduction" summer school, please contact the SUN office at summeru@ceu.edu . The SUN office staff will register your second application.

The application form is password-protected. 

1. a) In case you have started an application for our program in previous years, you can use your old login and password and can log in as a "Returning Embark User" (right-hand side of the page). In case you cannot remember your old password, click on the "Forget your password?" link.
2. b) In case you have not started an application before, please register first in the "New User?" section (left-hand side of the page). For registration please click on "Create an Account" and provide the requested information. Embark will send you your password by email and then you can log in and start your application, this time already as a returning user.

Further user's instructions for the online application are included in the form itself.

2. Full curriculum vitae or resume, including a list of publications, if any

Please upload your Curriculum Vitae or resume, including a list of publications, if any.

3. Statement of Purpose/ Motivation Letter (max 1 page)

In the Statement of Purpose please describe your relevant professional experience and qualifications (water and/or SDG-related), how the program is relevant to your professional work, and in what way you / your organization expect to benefit from it. Please list relevant organization activities, the tasks you are responsible for, and how the program will contribute to those.

4. Proof of English proficiency

As proof of your English language proficiency, please upload a copy of any of the following: graduate or post-graduate degree earned in a program whose official language is English; recent English language proficiency certificate (e.g. TOEFL); or a writing sample in English (e.g. recent publication).

Optional attachments:

• A cover letter (max. 1 page) to support application for financial aid (mandatory for those who wish to receive financial aid)

Applicants who wish to apply for financial aid are required to upload a cover letter in which they specify their reasons.

All application materials must be submitted electronically with the online application form. CEU does not accept application documents by e-mail or fax. Candidates who may experience difficulties with the online submission of their documents should contact the SUN Office.

CEU does not return application documents, or copies thereof under any circumstances. Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Inquiries

If you need help or more information during the application process, please feel free to contact the SUN staff:

E-mail for inquiry and correspondence: summeru@ceu.edu
Tel: (36-1) 327-3811
Fax: (36-1) 327-3124

Notification

The SUN Office will notify applicants about the selection results around the end of April. Please check the 'Important course dates' section on the relevant course web sites for earlier or later planned notification deadlines. The final decision is not open to appeal.

Financial Information 

Program Costs

Tuition Fee: 300 EUR ("Early Bird" fee: 270 EUR)

Accommodation options:

• Star Inn Hotel Budapest Centrum (15 minutes’ walk to CEU campus)
• In single room: 50 EUR / night / person - including breakfast
• In shared double room: 30 EUR / night / person - including breakfast

• CEU Residence Center (45 minutes to CEU campus by public transportation)
• In single room: 28 EUR/ night / person - including breakfast
• In shared double room: 17 EUR/ night / person - including breakfast

Estimated living costs (per week): 150-200 EUR

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available in the following categories:

• tuition waiver
• travel grant (full or partial)

• Participants from Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and Mongolia, as well as those coming from developing countries worldwide can apply for financial aid in categories listed above.
• Participants from developed countries are expected to pay tuition fee. However, there are a limited number of tuition waivers available on a competitive basis. Those who wish to apply for a tuition waiver should send a separate cover letter specifying their reasons.
• In case an applicant is accepted to two courses, which is only possible if the two courses are run consecutively, financial aid is only available for attending one course.

SUN Packages

All packages will include the following:

• a minimum of 24 tuition hours per week
• a certificate of attendance
• access to course E-learning page (with readings, assignments, etc.)
• access to CEU facilities (Library, IT services, sports centre at the CEU Residence Center including the use of the indoor swimming pool, tennis courts)
• some social and cultural events depending on the course schedules (e.g. welcome and farewell reception / outings /fieldtrips / film screenings, etc.)

1. Fee-Paying Package

As the number of scholarships available is limited, funding offered by institutions or individuals is welcome so that we can invite more well qualified applicants. When choosing the financial aid package, please consider if you or your institution can contribute to the program expenses. Faculty and Ph.D. students are advised to approach their home departments for travel grants; researchers may have research grants available which can cover their participation; professionals may turn to their employers to fund their training at SUN. You can also consult some non-CEU funding opportunities listed in our FAQ section. While selection of applicants will be based on the academic merit of the applications, those willing to bear the participation costs fully or partially will be preferred in case of equally strong applications.

Financial aid: N/A
Participant's own contribution: tuition, travel, accommodation, health insurance and living expenses

Payment deadlines

• April 30 (Early Bird fee)
• May 28 (Full tuition fee) 

Cancellation Policy

In the event of cancellation, CEU will refund the tuition fee as follows:

• Before May 28 - CEU will fully refund the tuition fee.
• Between May 28th and 14 days prior to the course starting - 80% of the tuition fee will be refunded. 
• Within 14 days of the course starting - no refund for tuition fees will be given. 

2. Financial Aid packages

• Tuition Waiver
  Financial aid: tuition fee waived
  Participant's own contribution: health insurance, travel, accommodation and living expense.
• Partial SUN Scholarship
  Financial aid: tuition fee waived and a full or partial travel grant
  Participant's own contribution: health insurance, travel and living expenses

Visa costs and short domestic trips are not reimbursed. The citizens of the following countries are not eligible to apply for a travel grant: Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Eligibility 

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

https://summeruniversity.ceu.edu/geospatial-2017