General Activities

An overview of the collaborative efforts, working groups, and member-driven initiatives that define the ISPRS Student Consortium.

A dark slate chalkboard covered with hand-drawn white chalk diagrams of satellite orbits, terrain contour lines, and geospatial measurement notations

Working Group VI/5

WG VI/5 is the ISPRS working group dedicated to education and outreach, with a strong focus on student engagement. The Student Consortium collaborates closely with WG VI/5 to organize summer schools, workshops, and training opportunities worldwide.

Past summer schools co-organized with WG VI/5 have taken place in Hanoi (2010), Jhongli (2011), Chonburi (2012), Bali and Addis Ababa (2013), Nay Pyi Taw and Wuhan (2014), and Obergurgl and Dehradun (2015).

Member-Driven Projects

SC members initiate and lead projects that advance knowledge in photogrammetry, remote sensing, and geoinformation. These include:

Research exchanges between institutions
Collaborative mapping and data-collection campaigns
Technical workshops and webinars
Publication of the SC Newsletter, reporting on member activities since Autumn 2007

Academic Exchanges & Practical Training

The Consortium facilitates short-term academic exchanges and practical training placements, connecting students with laboratories, research groups, and industry partners across the globe. These exchanges help members gain hands-on experience with the latest sensors, software, and methodologies.

Community & Networking

Beyond formal projects, the SC fosters a vibrant international community. Members connect through social media groups, the annual summer schools, and ISPRS congresses — including the XXIIIrd ISPRS Congress held at the Prague Congress Centre in July 2016.

The Consortium also maintains links to key ISPRS resources: the ISPRS Home Page, Working Group VI/5, ISPRS Education, the ISPRS Archive, ISPRS Highlights, and the ISPRS Calendar.

Stay Involved

The SC Newsletter has been the primary channel for sharing activity reports, research highlights, and international study-program updates since its first issue in Autumn 2007, following the 2nd Summer School in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Browse the newsletter archive to explore past volumes, or visit the events page for information on summer schools and conferences.

The ISPRS Student Consortium brings together students and early-career researchers from across the globe who share a passion for photogrammetry, remote sensing, and spatial information sciences. Through a range of collaborative activities, members have the opportunity to engage with peers, mentors, and established professionals in the field. These initiatives are designed to bridge the gap between academic study and practical application, helping students build the skills, confidence, and networks they need as they move forward in their careers. Participation is open to students at various stages of their education, and the consortium actively encourages involvement from diverse geographic and disciplinary backgrounds.

Working groups form the backbone of many consortium efforts, allowing small teams of students to tackle focused topics and produce meaningful outputs over time. These groups explore areas such as emerging technologies, educational materials, and community outreach, often publishing their findings for the wider membership. Members contribute through regular discussions, shared documentation, and collaborative drafting of reports and guides. The working-group model gives students hands-on experience in project management, teamwork, and technical communication, while also creating lasting resources that benefit the broader ISPRS community. New groups are periodically formed in response to member interest and evolving trends in the field.

Member-driven initiatives are central to the consortium's identity, with students themselves proposing and leading many of the activities that appear on the calendar. These can include webinars, workshops, summer schools, and informal knowledge-sharing sessions that complement formal academic training. The consortium supports such initiatives by providing a platform for coordination, promotion, and peer feedback, helping ideas grow from early concepts into fully realized events. By empowering students to take ownership of projects, the consortium fosters leadership skills and a strong sense of community. Many participants find that these experiences are among the most rewarding aspects of their membership.

The consortium also maintains an active archive of proceedings, reports, and educational materials generated through its various activities. This documentation serves as a valuable reference for students who wish to revisit past presentations, review technical summaries, or explore topics introduced in earlier sessions. The archive reflects the breadth of topics the community engages with, from applied remote sensing techniques to broader questions about education and professional development in the geospatial sciences. By preserving these records, the consortium ensures that knowledge continues to circulate beyond a single event, extending the value of each activity to members who could not attend in person.

Beyond formal projects, the consortium places a strong emphasis on building a supportive and welcoming community. Social events, informal gatherings, and online discussions create spaces where students can exchange ideas, ask questions, and find collaborators for future work. The consortium also highlights scholarship and grant opportunities, job postings, and summer school announcements, helping members stay informed about ways to grow professionally. Through its official communication channels, including newsletters and social media, the consortium keeps the community connected year-round, ensuring that students feel engaged whether they are attending their first event or have been involved for several years.