The Department was honored by a visit of Academician Xu Guanhua former
Minister of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
on May 21st. He visited the department to hear presentations from Sam
Goward, Chengquan Huang, Shunlin Liang, Tatiana Loboda, Stephen
Prince, Guoqing Sun, John Townshend and Eric Vermote. On the 22nd he
received an honorary Doctorate in Public Service at the Main
Commencement.

Professor Xu Guanhua graduated from Beijing Forestry University in 1963. He studied in Stockholm, Sweden in 1979 and returned to China in 1981. His appointments have included research professor and Director General of the Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques of the Chinese Academy of Forestry. He was appointed Director General of the Institute of Remote Sensing at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1993. In 1994 he became Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and in 1995 he was appointed Deputy Director of the State Commission of Science and Technology. In 1998 he became Vice Minister Ministry of Science and Technology and in 2001 he became Minister of Science and Technology until he retired in 2007.

Professor Xu Guanha is well-known as a scientist specializing in the development and applications of remote sensing and geographical information systems. His achievements were recognized in China by his appointment as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He successfully developed the earliest digital image processing system for remote sensing images in China. The system was developed both as a general purpose image processing system, but also contained innovative specialized functions for decision-making, analysis of sample plots, image classification, map synthesis and estimates of biomass for resource surveys.

He was awarded a national prize for Scientific and Technological Progress by the Ministry of Forestry in 1988 and a second one for National Scientific and Technological Progress in 1989. His techniques for digital image processing with multi-wave band and classification are well known and have been widely applied. He also developed theories and methodologies of remote sensing integrated surveys and their application for mapping. His work led to the formulation of the first technical standards in China for remote sensing integrated surveys and mapping systems for regenerative resources.

Professor Xu Guanhua has also occupied the position of Director of the Division of Geographic Study of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Director of the Academic Committee of the National Key Laboratory of Resource and Environmental Information System, Director of the Academic Committee of the National Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Aerial Survey, Deputy Director of the China GIS Association and editor in chief of “Transactions of Remote Sensing”.

During his time as minister he oversaw not only the expansion of his own area of interest, namely remote sensing, but the enormous growth of all scientific activities in China. For example in 2006 China saw a record high R&D expenditure of 300 billion yuan ($38.5 billion) representing 1.4 per cent of GDP in 2006, 22 percent more than in 2005. There are plans for further major increases in expenditure in the 10th five year plan announced this year.

Professor Xu has played a leading role internationally especially as the chairman of the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites. His efforts as chairman were a major factor in the setting up of the inter-governmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), which is leading to the Global earth Observing System of Systems.

He is an Academician of the Academy of Sciences for the Third World, a foreign academician of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences of Sweden, and an Academician of the International Academy of Space Navigation Sciences.

He is a Doctor of Technology (honoris causa) of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand (15 May 2005). He received a Doctoral Degree of Science (honoris causa) from the City University of Hong Kong (November 1999) and in 2006 was made an Honorary Professor of the Faculty of Engineering of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

He has in recent years he has been working with President Mote with the goal of setting up of a Chinese Science Park in College Park.