On 14 March 2013, Prof. Tom Veldkamp, the Dean of Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente and Prof. Fanghua Hao, the Vice President of Beijing Normal University, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreement at Beijing Normal University (BNU).
The two partners agreed to focus on an MSc Double Degree Programme in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Natural Resources Management.
Cooperation between ITC and BNU began in 2006, during a period of rapid advancement in geographical research, especially in GIS and earth observation technology. Both ITC and BNU are consortium members of the EU Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window Lot 14, which is coordinated by Lund University, Sweden.
BNU is a public research university with a strong emphasis on the basic disciplines of humanities and sciences. BNU was founded in 1902 and is therefore one of the oldest universities in China. Today, BNU is a renowned institution of higher learning and, according to the latest assessment published by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the university is ranked number one in five disciplines, namely Geography, Ecology, Education, Psychology and Chinese History.
