Development of GIS at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb

Sa？etak It is virtually impossible today to imagine acquiring new geography knowledge, conducting research or successfully and efficiently managing spatial resources without the use of GIS. Many global publications have outlined the importance imparted to GIS in both scientific research and teaching of geography at the university level over the past 30 years. This paper defines the current GIS&T teaching and scientific research framework at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, within the basic theoretical postulates related to the role and importance of GIS and other new information technologies in higher education of geographers worldwide. With regard to as the development of GIS at the department, two basic developmental aspects have been addressed: institutionalisation of GIS education at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science (increase in the number of GIS-related courses in the education of geographers, and the structure of the Geographic Information Systems study programme within the graduate studies of geography at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science) and strengthening the use of GIS in scientific research. The characteristic development periods of GIS teaching and scientific components at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science have also been define