More than 24 participants attended a recent hands-on Workshop on Contemporary Web-Mapping Technologies in Teheran, Iran. The meeting, held from 20^th to 22^nd October 2008, was organised by the National Cartographic Center of Iran and the ICA Commission on Maps and the Internet. Representing the latter was co-chair Georg Gartner of the Department of Geoinformation and Cartography, Vienna University of Technology in Austria, and Markus Jobst of the Hasso-Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam, Germany.

There were presentations and hands-on sessions on the subject of ‘Server-side Web Mapping'. The workshop focused on the technological and methodological basics of delivering maps on the web, including such topics as basic tools, design questions, interactive functions and using map-server technology. Based on an introduction to Content Management Systems (CMS) and Application Programming Interfaces (API), participants were then able to install a local map-server. Hands-on sessions dealt with the main components of ‘tuning' a map-server application, including mapfile and templates. Because map-server applications can be embedded in web map services, there was special focus on interoperability and standardisation in web mapping.

The workshop was organised and hosted by the National Cartographic Center (NCC), and in particular staff of the Cartography Department, NCC ICA delegate Babak Shamei, and the deputy manager of the Cartography Department, Mehrdad Jafari. Participants had a variety of backgrounds and skills, but one advantage of hands-on workshops is that they facilitate flexible management of heterogeneous needs. The lecturers and ICA Commission on Maps and the Internet have conducted similar workshops on various topics in contemporary web mapping in many different countries over recent years and are open for suggestions in this context.

ICA vice-president Georg Gartner was invited to give a presentation on contemporary cartographic issues, and to promote the International Cartographic Association at a colloquium at Teheran University. It was interesting to note how well prepared students were, and how remarkably high were their skills and knowledge in the domain of Geoinformation Science. A lively discussion developed on the role and context of Cartography versus Geoinformation Science. It was agreed that there is a need to strengthen contemporary cartographic topics in the syllabi for Geodesy and Geoinformation Bachelor and Master courses at Teheran University.