It is my great honor to welcome you all to attend the Ninth International Conference on Earth Observations and Social Impacts (ICEO&SI) as a Founder and Honorary President of Taiwan Group on Earth Observations (TGEO). The Conference is annually held with joint efforts by a prestigious university and TGEO. In 2019, the university is National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The Conference can never be successfully carried out without the selfless dedication and devotion of all the people who work hard together to arrange numerous details. My most sincere thanks go to NCKU team for their awesome preparation of the programs, sessions, venue, and joyful activities.
TGEO aims to promote international cooperation and exchange. In 2010, it was established along with a kick-off Workshop on Earth Observations held. In 2011, the first ICEO&SI was started. Since then, the ICEO&SI has become an annual platform for gathering scientists to resolve the global threats that human beings are facing nowadays. In 2014-2015, TGEO proposed to form an international association with GISA of Japan and KAGIS of Korea to share advancements in the fields of Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System, Global Navigation Satellite Systems, …etc. In 2016, the International Association of Geo-informatics (IAG’i) was officially formed by the three countries, and its first annual assembly was held by GISA in Japan with its second and third assemblies held by KAGIS and TGEO in Korea and Taiwan, respectively. In addition, the International Conference on Earth Observations and Nature Hazards (ICEO&NH), a sister conference of ICEO&SI, was started in 2017 after its 2016 kick-off meeting. The ICEO&NH is hosted by IG, VAST (Institute of Geography - Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology), and co-hosted by TGEO, and other public and private units, and is expected to become another platform for international exchange.
Up to this time, more than 1334 academics, researchers, engineers and students from over 22 countries of 4 continents had fruitful and pleasant experiences at the previous ICEO&SI conferences. Also, more than 709 papers (418 oral papers and 291 posters) and 41 keynote and invited speeches have been delivered with many of them published in the special issues of prestigious journals, including Remote Sensing, Atmospheric Research, and TAO. The ICEO&SI 2019 will inherit the heritage to provide all participants an excellent stage of an international symposium.
Last but not least, as a Founder of TGEO and ICEO&SI, my sincere appreciation belongs to every organizer and all the people who contribute efforts to the Conference. I wish all of you a delightful experience about the abundant historic culture of the Tainan City, the oldest city and cultural capital of Taiwan. Look forward to welcoming you all in ICEO&SI 2019.
Yuei-An Liou
Distinguished Professor & Academician, National Central University
Founder & Honorary President, TGEO
Honorary President, Vietnamese Experts Association in Taiwan
