In the big data era, huge volume of data of our physical and built environments have constantly being collected. Making proper decisions on many major issues concerning human well-beings (e.g., global change, natural resource survey, eco-environment monitoring, intelligent management of society and city, disaster monitoring and emergency rescue) depend heavily on the ability to quickly analyze and synthetize spatial information. Coupled with the strong scientific demands and rapid development in information technology, spatial information science and technology has become an indispensable interdisciplinary field, which together with Biotechnology and Nanotechnology are considered the three fast-growing technologies.

Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (IRSGIS), Peking University, is one of the earliest departments in China dedicating to research and teaching of spatial information science and technology. Aiming at fundamental research, technology innovations, application developments, and innovation-driven education, the IRSGIS has gradually developed into an important base for educating geospatial talents and fostering scientific research both domestically and internationally. Approved by the State Education Commission of China, Institute of Remote Sensing Technology and Application was established in 1983, and was renamed to Institute of Remote Sensing and GIS, Peking University, in 1994. In 2001, the IRSGIS was merged with the GIS major of the Department of City and Environment to admit undergraduate students majored in GIS, and became a part of the School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University. In the same year, Beijing Key Lab of Spatial Information Integration and 3S Application (Peking University) was established. In 2004, Institute of Digital China was established by Peking University and managed by the IRSGIS. Other units affiliated to the IRSGIS include the Technical Training Department of National Remote Sensing Center (1981), the University Joint Research Center for Remote Sensing, Ministry of Education (1985), the Engineering Research Center of Earth Observation and Navigation, Ministry of Education (2007), and the Engineering Research Center for Fundamental Geographic Information Software and Application, National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation of China (2013).

The IRSGIS has 30 faculty members comprising of one academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, one Cheung Kong Scholar Chair Professor, nine professors, two Bairen researchers, 14 associate professors (including one awardee of the New Century Excellent Talents in University, Ministry of Education), and three staff. It offers an undergraduate degree program in "Geographic Information Science", and a Master and Ph.D. degree program in both "Cartography and Geography Information System" (awarded as the National Key Discipline) and "Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing".

The main research fields of the IRSGIS are:

(1) New theories and methods for remote sensing data acquisition, information processing and quantitative retrieval; key technologies in microwave remote sensing, hyperspectral remote sensing and LIDAR remote sensing; and remote sensing applications in global change, eco-environment, urban studies, agriculture, disaster, and planetary exploration.

(2) Basic theories of Geographic Information Science, spatial data analysis methods, 3D GIS, geographic big data and high performance computing technologies, GIS software development, and applications in digital earth, smart city, and digital mine.

(3) Theoretical approaches and key technologies in satellite navigation and positioning, as well as application research in location-based service, intelligent transportation system, precision agriculture, and indoor navigation.

(4) Integrated technologies and applications of remote sensing, GIS and satellite navigation and positioning.

The IRSGIS has undertaken many research projects supported by the National High–tech R&D Program of China (i.e., the 863 Program), the National Program on Key Basic Research Project of China (i.e., the 973 Program), the National Science and Technology Major Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the International Cooperation Program in the fields of Remote Sensing Science and Technology, Geographic Information Science and Satellite Navigation and Positioning. Since 2000, it has received three national awards for science and technology progress, 15 ministerial awards for science and technology progress, one International Invention Award, and several national invention patents. It also holds two national-level quality courses, and one national outstanding Ph.D. dissertation award, and several outstanding Ph.D. dissertation awards of Peking University.

The IRSGIS aims at cultivating students in spatial information science and technology to equip with specialty knowledge and creativity. The career prospects for the graduates include research and teaching in colleges and universities, technology development and management in governments, research institutes, and IT companies in information and communication, urban and regional planning, land and resources, environment, transportation, traveling, aeronautics and astronautics, public security, military, ocean, water resources, and surveying and mapping. Since its establishment in 1983, the IRSGIS has produced more than 300 Bachelor, 340 Master and 180 Ph.D. degrees holders, and 120 post-doctors.

The IRSGIS has been committed to international collaborations. Academic visiting and exchanges have been established with many famous universities in the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland, such as University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Maryland, Columbia University, Clark University, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, University of New Brunswick, University of Western Ontario, University of Cambridge, University College London, and National University of Ireland.

Director: Prof. Qiming Zeng

Vice-director:

Members:

Zhengang Cao, Xvdong Lin, Bin Chen, Xiuwan Chen, Shihong Du, Wenzhe Fa, Wenjie Fan, Yong Gao, Zhou Huang, Jian Jiao, Mei Li, Peijun Li, Qi Li, Yi Lin, Yuefeng Liu, Yu Liu, Shanjun Mao, Qiming Qin, Min Sun, Yuan Tian, Qingxi Tong, Lun Wu, Lei Yan, Feizhou Zhang, Xianfeng Zhang, Yi Zhang, Yun Zhang, Hongying Zhao