FIG Young Surveyors Conference

9TH FIG YOUNG SURVEYORS CONFERENCE 5 – 6 April
in collaboration with
The Geospatial Council of Australia Young and Emerging Professionals

Next-Gen Geospatial Professionals: Driving a Digitally Enabled Future | Venue: The Cube, QUT, Brisbane, Australia

Saturday, 5th of April, 2025

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08:00–08:30

Registration & Networking
Moderator Sijan

Start your day by registering, grabbing your conference pack, and mingling with fellow participants.

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08:30–09:30

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Moderator Marcus/Angela

Opening session featuring welcomes from FIG Council, GCA, FIG Foundation, FIG YSN and GCA YEP leaders to set the tone for the conference.

Speakers
Kalogiannakis Michalis(FIG Vice-President), Greece
TBA (GCA), Australia
Shirley Chapunza, FIG YSN Chair, Zimbabwe
James Sadler, GCA YEP Chair, Australia

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09:00–09:45

Keynote Address: “Next-Gen Geospatial Professionals: Shaping a Digitally Enabled Future”
Moderator Oscar

A forward-thinking address by two industry leaders exploring the role of young surveyors in the rapidly evolving geospatial landscape and how they can lead the way in leveraging digital tools and innovations for the future of surveying.

Speakers:
Lidija Spiranec, Leica Geosystems, Croatia & Switzerland
Denise Mckenzie, Digital Geographer, London

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09:45–10:15

Grant Recipients Showcase
Moderator Marcus/Angela

This session is dedicated to the remarkable Young Surveyor Grant Award sponsors and the award winners.

John Hohol, FIG Foundation/Aubrey Barker Fund, USA
John Brock, Australia
Kengo Okada, RIPRO Corporation, Japan

4 FIG Foundation(Global)
1 RIPRO Corporation Japan (Ukraine)
4 John Brock Gift to the Future (Local)
1 Aubrey Barker Fund(Regional)

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10:15-10:20

Group Photo
Moderator James

A chance to capture the enthusiasm and energy of the conference participants.

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10:20-10:30

Teabreak – One question, One person.
Break

Walk up and talk to someone you don’t know and give one prompt: “Why did you attend this conference?”

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10:30 - 11:15

Empowering the Future: Celebrating Excellence in Young Surveying
Moderator James

Lunch
2 experts sit at a table and Young Surveyors chat with them.

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11:15-12:00

What makes a Next-Gen Geospatial Professional

This session will see three young spatial professionals talk about what they think makes a Next-Generation Geospatial Professional and the steps they are taking to achieve this.

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12:00-13:00

Lunch – Meet an Expert
Break

Walk up and talk to someone you don’t know and give one prompt: “Why did you attend this conference?”

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13:00 -13:40

How Our Industry is Driving a Digitally Enabled Future
Moderator: Angela/David

Discover how you can get involved with the Volunteer Community Surveyors Program (VCSP)! Join us for a quick, interactive session featuring a fun icebreaker, a snapshot of opportunities in VCSP projects, and practical ways to contribute. Connect, learn, and map your path to new experiences!

Angela Anyakora, VCSP Co-Lead
David Elegbede, VCSP Co-Lead

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15:00 - 17:00

Charity Event
Moderator: Shirley/
Narelle

Recap of the day and plan for the rest of the day.

Travel to the charity event

In partnership with FIG WG2.3 on Learning Styles in Surveying Education and FIG WG4.3 on Mapping the Plastic, the charity event will focus on ocean conservation drawing from the work of these two working groups in partnership with the Young Surveyors Network.

*We donate money to Deadly Science

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17:00 - 18:00

Break/Travel to FIG YSN-Leica Social Event
Break

Take a refresher before heading to the social event at Plough Inn.

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18:00-21:00

FIG YSN-Leica Social Event
Moderator: Craig/ Shirley

Leica Geosystems

Networking cocktail at The Plough Inn sponsored by Leica Geosystems part of Hexagon.

Sunday, 6th of April, 2025

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09:00 - 09:10

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Moderator Sunday, 6th of April, 2025

Recap of Day 1 and opening of plans for the workshop.

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09:10 - 09:40

Updates from FIG YSN Regional Network
Moderator Shirley/Angela

This session will feature updates from FIG YSN Regional Network group leads, highlighting key developments and ongoing initiatives within their regions. Each lead will also share one specific action they aim to achieve in their workshop, fostering collaboration and impactful outcomes.

Marcus Schmitt (FIG YSN Americas)
Iaroslav Zifceac (FIG YSN Europe)
David Elegbede (FIG YSN Africa)
Shristi Paudel (FIG YSN, Asia and Pacific)

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09:40 - 10:30

The Future of Surveying: YSN Workshop
Moderator Shirley/Marcus

Help shape the FIG Regional network groups and achieve their goal for their workshop.

Note: Participants cannot be in their host region (i.e. if they are part of the Americas region, they aren’t allowed to be in the FIG YSN Americas group. Repeat for other groups).

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10:30-11:00

Break

Break

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11:00-11:30

Finalise Workshop findings

This session will bring together all workshop participants to finalize key findings and share insights with the group for collective reflection and next steps.

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11:30 - 12:00

Closing and Recap

What we’ve learned and what’s next?