这届的会议非常成功,也邀请到了许多国际GIS大佬,如Goodchild, Michael Batty等。甚至还请来了GIS之父Tomlinson. 当2米多高的Tomlinson拄着拐杖颤颤巍巍地走上讲台,以一个父辈的身份,用颤抖的、接近哭腔的口吻对我们说“Now, I talk to you directly, the future of GIS”时,我仿佛接受了一次洗礼,似乎那个学科发展的巨担已传递到了我们肩头。
会上我还意外地碰到了John Radke,让我一下子想起了三年前的我。那会儿我利用寒假的时间去美国UC Davis交流,期间去了UC Berkeley. 因时间仓促,事先没联系好那边的老师,只在网上查了地理系的地址,就凭着一股年轻人的蛮不讲理去了。在系楼的过道上看到了John Radke的名字,只知道是和GIS相关的,就和秘书说我要找他。没想到他并没有怪我来得莽撞。很奇怪的,我们并没有讨论GIS的话题,而是就中国的问题争论起来。他说他小时候在中国长大,对中国很失望,中国的政府和学术很腐败;我便和他说现在已经不一样了,你大可以再去看一下。争论的最后我们都按捺不住脾气了,一小时的谈话就终止了。现在想来,当时的我真是好笑,而John的风度也的确让我印象深刻:一个大牌教授突然被一个不知哪来的毛头小孩打扰,还莫名其妙地和他讨论了一小时中国问题!记得讨论完的我异常兴奋,回去后还给他发了邮件,贴在下面,以供玩味。
Prof. Radke,John竟也马上给我回了一封长信:
Hello, I'm the Chinese student who met you this afternoon. I'm from Zhejiang University with GIS as my major.I really admire you, not for your great achievements in GIS, but that you are truly thinking about what we are doing and what we are doing that for. You made me think deep into why I learn GIS. I have too much to say, so it might be a little bit long letter.Money is necessity for life, but I never worry too much about it. I have my dream which means more to me and I keep it all the way I grow up: I want to do something to change the world( big dream, err?) I keep on asking myself: but how? until I met GIS. GIS tools are powerful but they are not interface friendly and are complicated to use. Why not make it as popular as photoshop, thus pushing GIS research one step forward?But after the talk with you today, something new came into my mind. GIS is a tool, and only a tool which can be used in any way or not in any way at all if you are not determined to solve a problem! There exist many problems--both in developing and developed countries--environmental degradation, resource shortage, transportation problem, etc. Actually the government could solve them, but it costs. What we might do is, to make the cost smallest so that the governor is willing to take the risk, with the tool of GIS. And I might turn to politician if necessary.I don't know if it is another naive idea. It just hits my mind on my way back home.As for the "China" you mentioned today, I just feel sorry. But it's not apology. I just feel sad that you didn't see the other side of the country. That's not real China. There are many problems in China like government corruption and environmental degradation. But we have identified the problems and we have taken action. We just need time. Time is indeed impressing but it's never too late to take action. China is no longer the poor country before. It is a big responsible country, just look at 2008 Olympics and the important role China plays in the Copenhagen conference. I truly hope you pay a visit to China once more, and perhaps to Zhejiang University, Hangzhou.By the way, Beijing is the capital of P.R.China, while Capital Nanjing is history. They are two different periods of China of 5000 years old.
Dong Chen,这次再见,很可惜他已经不记得我了。希望有一天,在我学有所成之时,能再和他"talk around GIS problems"。
It was good to meet you. If I could only transfer my experience to you
directly you would see that in my mind I see the beauty of your home
country and in fact all the counties of the world. I also see the future
and the custodians of the future. This is my dilemma. It starts with
humans and their inability to see the bigger more important problems.
They are for the most part goal directed and this is their weakness and
downfall. No doubt China will fix its current problems but will they
learn? The US is young, has experienced many growing pains and I believe
rarely learns form those experiences. If we only had time to go into this
further.
To save a life is to save your own. Save mother earth and look what you
have done.
Governors (politicians) are usually caught up in themselves and by the
time they realize they could have done something good ... their time is up
and a new one enters the scene. Faith in their ability to see the
problems and articulate a solution is likely naive but this is not a
failure of yours but theirs.
Spatial reasoning and understanding brings us closer to recognition of
what is. This is why I have embraced GIS. I see you feel the same. I
salute you for it.
kind regards,
这次会议是我认识GIS圈里人的大好机会,在这里把CPGIS的一些会员贴出来,供膜拜学习(不保证信息完整准确)。
1. 宫鹏。19岁即于南京大学地理系本科毕业,21岁于南京大学地理系硕士毕业,25岁于加拿大滑铁卢大学地理系获得博士学位,现任美国UC Berkeley大学教授,清华大学地球系统科学研究中心主任。
2. 丁跃民。美国Verizon Communication公司信息技术部资深经理。Verizon主要运营无限服务,美国最新的4G网络就是他们运营的。
3. 龚健雅。江西人。毕业于华东地质大学(今东华理工大学)。中国科学院院士,武汉大学教授,武汉大学测绘遥感信息工程国家重点实验室主任。吉奥公司总工。
4. 周成虎。福建人。南京大学陆地水文专业学士,中科院地理所博士。陈述彭学生。中科院地理所副所长,资源与环境信息系统国家重点实验室主任。
5. 李荣兴。上海同济大学surveying and mapping专业学士、硕士,Technical University of Berlin 大学 Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing博士。曾是NASA火星探索计划科学家。现任Director, Mapping & GIS Laboratory,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, The Ohio State University
6. 李斌。广东人。Ph.D., Syracuse University。现为Central Michigan University地理系教授。
7. 柳林。中山大学地理科学与规划学院院长。美国辛辛那提大学教授。
8. 林戈。美国内布拉斯加大学医学中心副教授。
9. 夏福祥。浙江衢州龙游人。浙江大学毕业。现为ESRI 资深构架师。
10. 周启鸣。香港浸会大学地理系教授,地学计算与分析研究中心主任。
11. 王野乔。美国罗德岛大学自然资源科学系教授。
12. 关蔚禾。哈佛大学地理分析中心研究服务部主任。
13. 涂汉明。Octagon Research公司临床信息技术部总监。
14. 陶阅。湖北人。武汉大学毕业,后赴加拿大卡尔加里大学用两年半时间获得博士学位。32岁获终身教授职称。开发了GlobalView等软件,现为PPLIVE的CEO.