Geoengineering Education for Management of Geospatial Data in University Context

Abstract

In our society, geospatial data are used for multiple purposes, and their use has grown exponentially in recent decades, especially with the emergence of COVID-19. In this sense, universities play a key role in the geospatial domain from two points of view: the formation of students in this field in society, and the transfer and communication of knowledge. Considering the university-age population in Spain, a study was carried out in autonomous communities on the training provided by degrees that educate future spatial data managers (i.e., Bachelor Degree in Engineering in Geomatics and Surveying and Bachelor Degree of Geography) and the disciplines in which geospatial data are treated indirectly. The results show that universities offer two degrees providing direct training and seven degrees providing indirect training in geospatial data management per 100,000 inhabitants of university age. A high correlation of R2=0.84 has been found between the number of degrees that provide direct training and the number of geospatial services offered by Spanish universities, and most of these degrees and resources are offered by public universities. Although there are good prospects for the future of the geospatial industry, the number of students pursuing these degrees is decreasing by 5% while the number of students enrolled in all degrees in the country has increased by 4.3%. It seems important to reorient more training towards the current direction of the geodata market and online training.