The United Nations University (UNU) aims at providing scientific knowledge for UN purposes such as millennium development goals. A role is played here by mdg access to land ownership and use. Land lies at the basis of all societies. It is land policy that regulates access to and management of land. Sound land policy is a crucial factor for success in many aspects of society, including economic growth, food security, nature conservation, poverty reduction and housing. Sound land policy and related instruments determine how a government can provide access to land and land-tenure security, implementation of land reform, land-use planning, land-tax levy, etc. These issues become even more challenging in post-conflict or post-disaster areas where government systems are in transition.

Joint Programme
In support of UN goals and objectives the International Institute of Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation (ITC, Enschede, NL) has together with UNU developed a Joint Programme on Capacity Building in Disaster Management and in Land Administration. To accommodate parts of this, ITC has established a School for Disaster Management and a School for Land Administration Studies, both of which aim to provide support in these areas through education and capacity building, research and advisory services.

The School for Land Administration Studies has one special feature: two founding fathers, ITC and the Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency of the Netherlands (‘Kadaster’), who share a belief that in educating land-administration experts deserving of respect and value two elements are vital. These are an understanding of scientific concepts, models and methods of land administration, and knowledge of operational aspects of the creation of a land-administration organisation designed to perform on a day-to-day basis. Good co-operation between scientific institution and operational agency is therefore prerequisite. Kadaster will make experts available to give lectures, it will host study visits and participate in research alongside ITC academic staff.

Portfolio
Tailor-made, short courses have been developed to meet the growing need for professional training in Land Administration issues. These courses can be given on request and based at either ITC in the Netherlands or on location (as already in Ghana and Indonesia). The eighteen-month MSc degree course will be offered at ITC as from September 2007, bringing together scientific knowledge, skills and practical experience. The course will provide theoretical and practical knowledge and expertise in how to build a viable land-administration organisation, applying relevant principles of business administration and information technology. The course is designed for professionals involved in developing land-administration systems from academic, managerial and operational perspectives.

To keep abreast of scientific and technical developments relevant to the land administration profession, the school will develop an attractive research programme. It will sponsor MSc degree and post-graduate doctoral research for students from countries all over the world, as befits the ITC tradition in international education.