Bridging the culture gap

FIG Working Week 2011 was successfully held at the exotic city of Marrakech in Morocco under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco. About 1,500 participants from more than ninety countries attended the event. Participants were welcomed by FIG president CheeHai Teo and Aziz Hilali, chair of the Moroccan Association of Surveyors. Aida Opuku-Mensah of the UN Economic Commission for Africa talked about concrete leverage of Information and Communication Technology. The exhibition accompanying Working Week boasted 54 stands, twelve of which graced the Chinese Pavilion. FIG and Working Week platinum sponsors Esri and Trimble organized a pre-conference workshop with a presentation of latest developments. The technical program focused a good deal on ongoing developments in Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, with many representatives from the continent presenting papers and joining in discussions, and the FIG Africa taskforce organized two round table sessions in Marrakech.