education is aimed in the first place at the acquisition,
processing and supply of information for a great
number of activities with land. In addition, this edu
cation amply covers also the installation and control of
rural and urban areas at the small-scale level of land-
parcel and individual interested parties.
These two disciplines make the geodetic education in
the Netherlands a broad one. Besides to the known
branches in the field of the physical-mathematical
geodesy and surveying, much attention is paid to
branches such as land information systems, planning
geodesy, land law and land economy.
Fortunately, there is a growing demand for geodesists
in our country. They are expected to have an allround
knowledge of land. In spite of the sudden growth
(doubling) of the number of geodesists (in the last few
years) we are not yet worried about the employment in
this sector.
The official length of a university education in the
Netherlands is five years; Actually, however, in view of
the increased number of applicants for a university
education, and the increase of cost connected herewith,
the Government decided to reduce the official length of
the study to four years.
Only a limited number of students (40%) will be given
the opportunity to study one or two years longer. This
coerces all faculties to reprogramme their education.
The Department of Geodesy too is busy reprogramming
its study programme that has to start in September of
this year. This operation is supported by an investiga
tion, carried out with various offices and industries to
find out the need for geodesists. This investigation
showed that the special knowledge of our geodesists in
the field of information supply, land law and land- and
town-renovation is much appreciated. There is a gener
al desire that the branch of land economy be included in
the education.
Research
The Department of Geodesy has since long played a
central part in the research of the entire geodetic field of
profession in the Netherlands. Of course, the close
relation with the Rijkscommissie voor Geodesie
(Netherlands Geodetic Commission) has something to
do with this development. Unfortunately the sum of
money made available to universities for scientific re
search is continuously decreasing. Therefore, it be
comes more and more necessary to fall back on contract
research.
To give an impression of this research I shall give two
examples:
- The first example refers to Satellite Geodesy.
In the early seventies the Delft University of Tech
nology established its Observatory for Satellite
Geodesy at Kootwijk, near Apeldoorn. This obser
vatory was dedicated to geodetic observations of arti
ficial satellites and to related technological and scien
tific research.
These observing and research activities have over the
years to a significant level been funded as a part of the
national space research programme pursued by the
Netherlands Committee for Geophysics and Space
Research (GROC) of the Royal Academy of Sciences.
The observing technique initially applied was photo-
grammetric measurement of directions to satellites.
By 1976 the role of primary technique was taken over
NGT GEODESIA 82
by laser ranging, a technique which is still success
fully applied.
At present the Kootwijk Observatory is one of
Europe's leading establishments of its kind, in parti
cular as concerns laser ranging. The laser observa
tions are made in support of various internationally
coordinated scientific investigations. In 1978 the
Kootwijk laser ranging facility had a main share in the
European contributions to the American Seasat-1
oceanographic mission. The Kootwijk Observatory
took part in NASA's project of investigations using
data of satellite Lageos and contributed significant
amounts of such data. This project is at present suc
ceeded by NASA's Crustal Dynamics Project in which
the observatory, together with similar investigator
groups in Europe, again participates (until about
1987) both by contributing laser data and by perform
ing scientific analysis of such data. The objective of
this project is to gain a better understanding of earth
quake generating mechanisms. Kootwijk takes also
part in the MERIT Project to study modern techniques
of earth rotation measurement, as sponsored by the
International Astronomical Union and the Interna
tional Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.
The main thrust of development is directed toward
geophysical applications of satellite geodetic results
and so is the conception, jointly with the Institute of
Applied Physics (TDP) at Delft and with the Institut für
Angewandte Geodasie at Frankfurt am Main, FRG, of
a transportable laser ranging system to be used for
studies of crustal mobility, in the Eastern Mediter-
anean to begin with in 1984.
Somewhat off-line is utilization of the existing Koot
wijk laser ranging system for the purpose of global
precise time transfer in the framework of the LASSO-
experiment to be flown on ESA's SIRIO-2 in the
course of this year. The observatory foresees also
participation in ESA's ERS-1 oceanographic remote
sensing mission planned for 1987.
- the second example refers to the Stichting Studie
centrum voor Vastgoedinformatie (Study Centre for
Land Information). In this Centre participate among
others a number of Ministries (Housing and Physical
Planning, Interior, Agriculture), the Dutch Society of
Municipalities, a number of geodetic industries and
the Department of Geodesy. The Centre has its seat in
the Department and, therefore, has a close relation
with the geodetic research-activities.
In the short time of its existence (11/2 years), a number
of large research projects have been started in the
field of land information, land surveying, photogram-
metry and mapping.
Topics of research are found in the field of theoretical
aspects of information supply, various applications
and methods and techniques of collecting, proces
sing and supplying land information.
Finally I should like to observe that the Netherlands are a
densely populated country with very intensive land use.
This intensity and the demand for efficiency connected
with it ask for appropriate and scientifically organized
geodetic procedures. The abovementioned education
and research constitute a considerable contribution to
this effect.
With regard to the social importance of the geodetic
activities in our country the speakers of this afternoon
will inform you more in detail.
209
