Dr Muneendra Kumar earned MS, in Mathematics with three gold medals and PhD, in Geodetic Sciences. He is Fellow of the International Association of Geodesy and Marine Technology Society. He served in Survey of India, Indian Military Survey, US National Geodetic Survey,

and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, from where he retired as Chief Geodesist. Dr Kumar has occupied the Research Professor Chair at the Naval University, has been Special Consultant to 100+ countries, and Geodesy Advisor to UN Food and Agriculture Organization. He is an authority on marine positioning and geodesy, and GPS surveying. He is known as Dr. or Senor "WGS84".

Dr Kumar has numerous presentations, publications, special geodetic and GPS seminars, and workshops to his credit. His pioneering and innovative concepts and researches include Projection and Distortion Free and Seamless Kumar Mapping (KMap) System, GPS Surveyed Time-Invariant Seafloor Depths, and use of ellipsoidal heights in place of orthometric.

Dr Naser El-Sheimy is a Professor in the Department of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary. He holds a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Mobile Multi-sensor Systems. His research interests include multi-sensor systems, mobile mapping systems, real-time kinematic positioning,

and digital photogrammetry and their applications in mapping and Geospatial Information Systems (GIS). Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Dr. El-Sheimy held the position of VP Research and Development with VISAT Technologies Inc., a high-tech company in Montreal. Through this position Dr. El-Sheimy envisioned, implemented and directed the research and development of several commercial-grade systems for processing and georeferencing of close range digital imagery, automated 3D mapping, and GIS applications.

Dr El-Sheimy published over 120 papers in academic journals, conference and workshop proceedings.

Prof Dr George Cho AM is Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems and the Law, University of Canberra. Dr Cho has an Honours Degree in Arts from the University of Malaya, a Masters Degree from the University of British Columbia and a PhD from the Australian National University (ANU).

As well he also holds a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from University of Canberra and an LLB from the ANU and is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT and NSW and the High Court of Australia.

Prof Cho has published numerous books and journal articles on law and geography topics, including Geographic Information Science: Managing the Legal Issues (London: John Wiley & Sons, 2005); Cyber Law: Australia. International Encyclopaedia of Laws (with E Clark and A Hoyle), The Hague: Kluwer Law International 2004; E-Business Law and Management for the 21st Century (with E Clark and A Hoyle), Canberra: Info-Sys Law International Publications 2001; Marketers and the Law (with E Clark and A Hoyle), Sydney: Law Book Coy. Information Services 2000); Y2K: Avoiding the Legal Byte. A Guide for Managers and Legal Assessors (with E Clark and A Hoyle), Sydney: Prospect Publications 1999; Geographic Information Systems and the Law, London: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.

Dr Madhav N Kulkarni is presently Professor of Geodesy & Remote Sensing at IIT Bombay. He joined faculty of the Geodesy & Remote Sensing Division of Civil Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, in June 1999, after taking voluntary retirement from Army Engineers, as Lt Co. An Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur,

Dr Kulkarni served in Survey of India, a Department under DST, for 20 years, on deputation from Army. He carried out and supervised extensive Geodetic survey operations from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, for diverse applications. He did his Masters and PhD in Space Geodesy at The Ohio State University, USA, in a NASA-funded project, on a study leave, and received two international awards. His areas of specialization include Space Geodesy, Satellite-based Surveying & Mapping techniques, Earthquake Studies using Geodetic Techniques, and Global Positioning System (GPS).

Dr. Kulkarni is also an Adjunct Professor at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai, and member of several National committees, including the National GPS Expert Group. He has over 50 technical publications to his credit.

Dr Abbas Rajabifard is Deputy Director of the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration, and a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Geomatics at the University of Melbourne. He has published broadly on SDI, GIS and spatial data management.

In recent years he has focused more on the design and development of SDIs in different jurisdictions. He provide academic and research leadership in the Centre for SDIs and Land Administration; coordinate research activities of the PCGIAP-Working Group 3 (Cadastre) benchmarking worldwide cadastral systems and marine SDI and marine administration. His current research and interest are planning, management and implementation of SDIs, SDI and concepts of virtual jurisdictions, developing SDI as an enabling platform and SDI capacity building.

Dr Luiz Paulo Souto Fortes, PhD is Associate Director of Geosciences, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistice- IBGE Brazil. He holds a MSc in Computer Science applied to Cartography (IME, 1997) and a Ph.D. in Geomatics Engineering (University of Calgary, Canada, 2002).

He has been working during the past 23 years for IBGE, where he was responsible for research and analysis in geodesy most of the time. He currently holds the position of Associate Director of Geosciences. Since January 2005 he also holds the position of Associate Professor at the Cartographic Engineering Department of the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. He is also President of the SIRGAS Project, which established a new, unified, and accurate geodetic reference system in the Americas. He is currently member of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) Executive Committee, representing Latin America, President of the Sub-Commission for South and Central America of the IAG Commission on Reference Frames, and Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Cartography, in Brazil. Dr. Fortes has more than 50 papers published in journals, magazines and proceedings in Brazil and abroad.

John Hannah completed his BSc (Surveying) in 1970 at the University of Otago, and then a Postgraduate Diploma of Science in 1971. He became a Registered Surveyor in 1974. In 1976 he began study at The Ohio State University,

completing an MSc in 1978 and a PhD in 1982. From 1982 until 1988 he was Geodetic Scientist, and then subsequently, Chief Geodesist/Chief Research Officer with the Department of Lands and Survey, New Zealand. After a 17 month appointment to the Chair in Mapping, Charting and Geodesy at the US Naval Postgraduate School, California in 1989-1990, he returned to New Zealand as Director of Geodesy and subsequently Director of Photogrammetry for the Dept. of Survey and Land Information. In 1993 he joined the School of Surveying, as Professor and Head of Department, becoming its Dean in 2001. He relinquished this administrative role at the end of 2004.