AgriGIS Workshop and Think Tank

Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD),
Near Kasarani Police Station, Kasarani - Mwiki Road, Nairobi, Kenya

October 27-28, 2016

Due to the very high level of interest in this workshop, we are now oversubscribed and are unable to accept any more registrations.  We will inform successful delegates by Friday 14 October 2016.

The University of Nottingham [1], the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) [2], the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) [3] and Crops for the Future (CFF) [4] are pleased to announce the  AgriGIS Workshop and Think Tank meetings to be held RCMRD, Nairobi, October 27-28, 2016.

Background

Geospatial science has a major role to play in securing both food and nutritional security in agricultural systems, particularly to address the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 to ‘End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Collaborative, open and global action needs to be taken to address SDG2.

The Geospatial Resource for Agriculture Species and Pests (GRASP) project at the University of Nottingham was funded under the Tools and Resources call of the BBSRC (BB/K004034/1). The GRASP prototype will be used as the basis for the workshop.  The aim of the workshop is to introduce African researchers in key aspects of the approach, to develop a future network for further development and grant applications and also to begin interactions with African agricultural researchers about how to focus the potential of this approach into a tool which is of direct use to them. The approach falls under the wider aims of GODAN and RCMRD.

The goal of the proposed event is to provide a forum for stakeholders in agricultural research organizations in Africa to share knowledge and propose strategies on improving the use of free and open geospatial software, open data, open educational resources . This will also aim to Expand Capacity Building and Training in AgriGIS building upon BBSRC's GRASP-GFS [5]to support Global Food Security in partnership with GODAN.

Objectives

The objectives of the workshop are to:

• Promote  the use of Open software, open data and Open science in the agriculture sector in Africa using AgriGIS as an example
• Share ideas from GRASP research and build more collaborations
• Act as a springboard for GODAN capacity development [6] activities

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes are:

• Understanding of open software, open data and open science enhanced
• Tools and standards for enhancing open data and open science demonstrated
• Identifying opportunities for joint collaborations for future research and training

Target Participants

Participants at the workshop and think-tank meetings will be policy makers, senior research scientists, academics and students.

Proposed Approach and Activities

Activities for the two-day workshop and think-tank meetings will be bringing together experts ,senior policy officers, academics, researchers, students  on discussions, group work, presentations, demonstrations and discussions.

Provisional Agenda

Thursday, 27th October 2016

• 09:00 - 09:30 – Registrations
• 09:30 - 11:00 - Inaugural session

Speakers: 

• RCMRD presentation
• Martin Parr (GODAN) – skype or recorded
• Sean Mayes (University of Nottingham/CFF)
• Other key speakers from Kenya, Africa
• How open knowledge, open software, open data are handled in my Institution? 10 min presentation by interested institutions to set the scene

• 11:00 - 11:30 - Coffee break
• 11:30 - 13:00 – Think-Tank discussions on Open Data and Open Science in AgriGIS followed by summary from each group (organized by Suchith Anand)
• 13:00 -14:00 Lunch
• 14:00 -15:00 OpenGIS Workshop Intro – Suchith Anand
• 15:00 -15:30 – Coffee Break
• 15:30 -17:00 Hands on Workshop -RCMRD

Friday, 28th Oct 2016

• 08:30 - 09:00 – Tea/Coffee
• 09:00 - 10:00 – GRASP overview - Didier Leibovici
• 10:00 -10:30 -  Insect swarm prediction modeling - Ogundipie Oluropo
• 10:30 - 11:00 - Coffee break
• 11:00 - 12:30 - working groups/open discussion on how to expand GRASP ideas  targeting future grant calls
• 12:30 - 13:30 - Lunch
• 13:30 - 15:00 -working groups present their work and action plans
• 15:00 -15:30 –Coffee break
• 15:30 -16:30 – Wrap up and future action plans lead by Hussien Farah (RCMRD)

This will be a FREE WORKSHOP (no registration costs) for all interested in this theme to participate. The participants will have to cover their own travel, accommodation costs etc.

Funding for the meeting has been provided by:
BBSRC (block grant to University of Nottingham under GCDF)
GODAN*
RCMRD**

[1] https://www.nottingham.ac.uk
[2] http://www.rcmrd.org
[3] http://www.godan.info
[4] http://www.cropsforthefuture.org
[5] https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ngi/research/geospatial-science/projects/grasp-gfs.aspx
[6] http://www.godan.info/news/godan-working-group-capacity-development