From September 27 to October 1, 2021, the 15th Meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG-15) was held in Vienna, Austria. Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, the meeting was conducted in a combination of online and offline.
Hosted by United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, the meeting was attended by more than three hundred (300) representatives from global and regional satellite navigation system providers, ICG member countries, ICG associate members, as well as other relevant organizations. Dr. Weng Jingnong, Executive Director of the Centre and Dean of International School, Beihang University, Dr. Yang Dongkai and Dr. Xiu Chundi, experts in the direction of Global Navigation Satellite System, attended the Working Group C Session on “Information Dissemination and Capacity Building”.
Dr. Weng Jingnong delivered a report on “Update of BDS&GNSS International Education and Capacity Building”. He mainly introduced the latest progress and achievements of the Centre on international education, cooperation and capacity-building in BeiDou/GNSS since ICG-14, including degree programmes, short-term training programmes and the expansion of educational cooperation, especially the efforts and progress of the Centre during the COVID-19 outbreak in management and the development of educational and training activities.
During the meeting, representatives of the Centre and other participants fully exchanged the work on education and training topics, initiated the construction of GNSS curriculum programmes, teaching materials and experimental conditions to serve the development of the UN Regional Centres, and recommended to continue strengthening the cooperation among the UN Regional Centres under the ICG framework.
ICG-15 is an international navigation event in which China has taken a brand-new stance to showcase its national importance since the opening of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). The representatives of the Centre have actively spoken on international education and capacity-building in satellite navigation at ICG meetings, which enhances BeiDou’s international influence on the one hand, and promotes the sustainable development of the Centre on the other hand, building a broader platform for expanding cooperation and going global.
