1. The Role and Development of Surveying Engineering
A Chinese saying states, ��To understand the world, start by measuring it.�� This one saying sums up the importance of surveying engineering. The shape and size of the earth, maps and images used in national defense and economic development, location of construction projects, land data, land use, and air and sea navigation are all dependent on surveying. Surveying engineering, in all its different forms, is an important part of our lives. So, the next time you consult a map in an unfamiliar area, remember that it wouldn��t have been possible without surveying!
In recent years, construction projects such as the Metro Rapid Transit and the National Highway No. 2, along with foreign technological advances, have affected domestic development and made surveying engineering more important than ever:
In order to keep up with surveying demands, the government upgraded the Survey Headquarter of the Taiwan Province to the Land Survey Bureau in 1992, also planning to upgrade the Department of Land Administration to a higher administration level, with expansions in personnel, equipment, and technology. In addition, future qualification examinations for surveying engineers will allow qualified professionals to meet the needs of domestic development.
Advances in Global Positioning System and Geographic Information System, along with Taiwan��s electronic and information technology, have made surveying more automated, informative, and precise. The development of Taiwan��s own land information system, construction automation, numerical survey, and GPS research have brought new life to the theories and technology of surveying engineering.
2. Surveying Engineering at NCTU Civil Engineering
Tailored to students�� needs, graduate courses offered include Physical Geodesy, Advanced Engineering Surveying, Global Positioning System, Geographic Information System Analysis, and Remote Sensing. Undergraduate courses, such as Surveying, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Statistic Adjustment, and Geodetic Surveying, allow students to gain a basic understanding of surveying engineering and build a solid foundation for future studies.
In light of constant social changes and developments, surveying information systems and automation is without a doubt the future trend. The courses of this department will work towards building an information system to obtain optimal use of the limited land resources of Taiwan. Furthermore, advances in satellite technology, such as global positioning system, satellite gravimetry, and remote sensing, have progressed so rapidly that the integration of research in geographic information system, global positioning system, and remote sensing poses as both an interesting challenge and necessary development for the future.
3. Future Prospects
More and more, surveying has become an invaluable source of information for national defense and economic development. With the development of modern information systems, awareness in optimizing resources, establishment of satellite receiving stations, promotion of the satellite development plan and geography information system, improvement of related technology, and stimuli from the construction of various public works in Taiwan, the importance of surveying engineering can not be underestimated.