For years there has been a growing concern - at least in Western Europe and the United States - about the waning interest shown by their youth in technical studies - particularly as it relates to mathematics and engineering. Within some industries the modern way of communication via the Internet is seen as a way around these problems. For example, software development can be carried out on a global-employee scale, both in remote areas such as northern Scandinavia or in areas of the world where wages are lower (perhaps Russia or India) provided the necessary educational and skill levels are available - which, in many cases, they are.
Although there is a difference between software development and surveying operations, a lack of newly trained surveyors may coupled with cost considerations lead companies to search for surveyors from lower-wage countries. As a matter of fact, the first signs are already there. Once the training in these low-wage countries begins delivering more and more applicants for jobs we may see a decrease in the present dominance of surveyors originating from Western Europe and the US. This is not necessarily bad, but does represent a change.
Governments must be aware of the vulnerability of their society if they forget to invest in education, not only general but also in the technical field sciences, including hydrographic surveying. Touching on this subject of education, I would like to draw your attention to the UK initiative to attract young people to the surveying industry: see www.geomatics.org.uk.

We welcome two new members to the Hydro international team:
David Whitcombe has been appointed a member of the Editorial Advisory Board. David is presently working at Shell as Head of Offshore Surveys, responsible for a team that manages survey work across Europe. He has seventeen years experience of offshore survey in the oil & gas industry, during which he has acquired detailed knowledge and practical experience in most aspects of offshore survey. Before joining Shell in 1996, he worked for Fugro-UDI for ten years. He also worked offshore for six years, progressing from online surveyor to party chief then coming onshore, initially as base surveyor and latterly as senior project manager.
George Schlagintweit joins us as a new Regional Correspondent. George is based in Canada and is a Canada Lands Surveyor and an accredited CAT A Hydrographer. He has worn many hats during his eighteen-year career with the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Some of his activities include research in acoustic bottom classification, chairing the 1998 Canadian Hydrographic Conference and a recent four-year assignment as Client Liaison with the CHS private sector partner, NDI Inc. George is presently responsible for CHS Pacific RegionÕs ISO 9001 Quality Management System.
Another personnel change is that Miss Nynke van den Berg, Editorial Manager of Hydro international, is leaving GITC. I would like here to thank her most heartily for all the work she has done for the editorial board and myself during her three years at GITC. She is to be succeeded by Mrs Martsje Stelwagen.

Enjoy reading,