GPS World

Tag: professional development

  • WGIC and university partners announce professional doctorate in geospatial leadership

    WGIC and university partners announce professional doctorate in geospatial leadership

    The World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) is supporting the launch of a professional doctorate in geospatial leadership — the Executive Doctor of Geospatial Leadership (DGEO) — offered by Clark University and the University of Southern California (USC). The announcement was made at WGIC’s flagship annual event, Horizons 2026, in London.

    Designed in collaboration with WGIC and its 50+ member organizations, including companies such as Esri, Oracle, Amazon Web Services, TomTom, Trimble and Hexagon, the low-residency, cohort-based doctorate for mid-career professionals is set to begin in Summer 2027 at both Clark University and USC.

    These strategic partnerships aim to address the significant workforce gap in the industry and to build a much-needed pipeline of geospatial leaders. DGEO graduates will possess the precise technical and executive skills required to lead organizations that deploy geospatial technology – a critical infrastructure cutting across numerous sectors of the economy, from insurance and logistics to urban planning, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.

    From left: Aaron Addison, executive director, WGIC; Mark Coates, vice president of Infrastructure Policy Advancement, Bentley Systems; John Wilson, professor of Spatial Sciences and Sociology, University of Southern California; and Lou Leonard, dean, School of Climate, Environment & Society, Clark University.
    From left: Aaron Addison, executive director, WGIC;
    Mark Coates, vice president of Infrastructure Policy Advancement, Bentley Systems;
    John Wilson, professor of Spatial Sciences and Sociology, University of Southern California; and
    Lou Leonard, dean, School of Climate, Environment & Society, Clark University.

    The initiative reflects WGIC’s ongoing commitment to geospatial workforce development. Accordingly, WGIC invites its member organizations to help establish the DGEO programs, participate in the doctoral capstone and classroom experience to bring real-world practices to the curriculum, and drive recognition and demand for the degree worldwide.

    “Leaders emerging from this first-of-its-kind program will be equipped and empowered to approach problems with heightened understanding, an expansive set of skills, and the ability to find meaningful solutions,” said Aaron Addison, executive director of WGIC. “We are living in a time of incredible climate and societal disruption, when the demand for leaders in this space is acute — and the DGEO program will be critical in meeting that demand.”

    “We are at the point where the scale and impact of the geospatial industry has expanded greatly, moving beyond traditional GIS and remote sensing to integrate AI, machine learning, and data engineering,” said Lou Leonard, the D.J.A. Spencer Dean of the School of Climate, Environment, and Society at Clark University. “However, with this growth have come workforce gaps for the industry, particularly at management levels, where integrating technological competence, particularly GeoAI, with executive skills is vital to leading organizations in a changing future.”

    “The DGEO program will offer working professionals the opportunity to strengthen their communication, financial, and management skills as they step into leadership roles across the geospatial sector,” said John Wilson, professor and founding director of the Spatial Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California.

    The DGEO Program delivers

    Offered primarily online and built around a cohort model, the DGEO coursework spans strategic leadership, organizational management, finance, sales and marketing, and product management, governance, and policy, equipping graduates to lead a GeoAI-first enterprise and to remain fluent in geospatial technology from sensors and data to cloud-native workflows and analytics. The programs target mid-career managers, industry-sponsored candidates, and technical leaders bridging into business.

    Two Pathways to the Degree

    Executive Doctor of Geospatial Leadership, Clark University

    Program Length: 6 semesters (2 years)

    Units/Courses: 12 courses (48 credits) – 2 courses per semester

    Delivery Model: Online/asynchronous + 2 annual 1-week in-person intensive sessions

    Doctoral Capstone: Individual project/white paper/business model

    Executive Doctor of Geospatial Leadership, University of Southern California

    Program length: 10 semesters (3+ years)

    Units/Courses: 10 courses (40 units) – 1 course per semester

    Delivery Model: Online/asynchronous + three 4-day in-person intensive experiences

    Doctoral Capstone: Thought leadership, business models, innovation, and new opportunities

    Both programs start in Summer 2027.

    For more information, visit www.wgicouncil.org.

  • New Topcon Talks aimed at professionals at home during COVID-19

    New Topcon Talks aimed at professionals at home during COVID-19

    Photo: Topcon
    Photo: Topcon

    New series of free webinars for construction, geopositioning and agriculture facilitate learning

    Topcon Positioning Group is launching a free webinar program for the construction, geopositioning and agricultural sectors, exploring key topics affecting the industry and providing the latest updates and project management solutions.

    The Topcon Talks series, consisting of numerous informative webinars, has been created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide those working from home with valuable educational resources, while maintaining steady communication with Topcon customers, dealers and the wider industry.

    The webinars will focus on a range of topics such as improving productivity using digital construction workflows, overcoming barriers to technology adoption, and more practical how-to sessions for customers and dealers on specific Topcon solutions.

    The webinars will be delivered by a range of Topcon experts, with input from several other industry specialists, and cover a multitude of topics including:

    • Always One Step Ahead – an overview of Topcon’s latest product developments, market focuses and acquisitions
    • State of the Industry series – looking at the barriers to technology adoption in construction, such as attracting talent and bridging the skills gap
    • Detailed technical sessions showcasing latest hardware, software and web services to get the most out of Topcon solutions

    The content series is live on the site, with new sessions taking place regularly over the coming weeks. All sessions are free to attend, and those wanting to participate will first need to register on the Topcon website.

    “Everyday life has changed very quickly, and businesses across the world are having to adapt. At Topcon, we are working tirelessly to help the industry weather this storm. We’re aware that at this time, the majority of people are working from home, and we want to continue to support our customers and colleagues as much as possible,” said Ron Oberlander, vice president of global professional services at Topcon Positioning Group. “That’s why we’ve developed this webinar series — to provide an opportunity for continued professional development so that professionals can remain as productive as possible during this challenging time and be in the best position possible to accelerate the industry’s recovery when we come out the other side.”

    The webinars are also recorded and uploaded to the site once complete, so those who are unable to attend the session can access the content in their own time.