International Geographical Union

International Geographical Union (IGU)
Abbreviation	IGU
Formation	1922; 102 years ago
Type	INGO
Region served	Worldwide
Official language	English, French
President	Michael Meadows
Affiliations	International Science Council
Website	IGU-Online.org

The International Geographical Union (IGU; French: Union Géographique Internationale, UGI) is an international geographical society. The first International Geographical Congress was held in Antwerp in 1871. Subsequent meetings led to the establishment of the permanent organization in Brussels, Belgium, in 1922.

The International Geographical Union adheres to the International Science Council (ISC), which it recognizes as the coordinating body for the international organisations of science.

Objectives

The IGU has seven objectives or aims:

to promote the study of geographical problems;
to initiate and co-ordinate geographical research requiring international co-operation and to promote its scientific discussion and publication;
to provide for the participation of geographers in the work of relevant international organizations;
to facilitate the collection and diffusion of geographical data and documentation in and between all member countries;
to promote International Geographical Congresses, regional conferences and specialized symposia related to the objectives of the Union;
to participate in any other appropriate form of international co-operation with the object of advancing the study and application of geography;
to promote international standardization or compatibility of methods, nomenclature, and symbols employed in geography.

Senior Officers

The following lists contain the Senior Officers of the IGU from 1922 to present:

Presidents

2021–present Michael Meadows, South Africa
2016–21 Yukio Himiyama, Japan
2012–16 Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kolosov, Russia
2008–12 Ronald Francis Abler, United States
2006–07José Palacio-Prieto, Mexico, acting
2004–06 Adalberto Vallega, Italy, died in office
2000–04 Anne Buttimer, Ireland
1996–2000 Bruno Messerli, Switzerland
1992–96 Herman Th. Verstappen, Netherlands
1988–92 Roland J. Fuchs, United States
1984–88 Peter Scott, Australia
1980–84 Akin L. Mabogunje, Nigeria
1976–80 Michael J. Wise, United Kingdom
1972–76 Jean Dresch, France
1968–72 Stanisław Leszczycki, Poland
1964–68 Shiba P. Chatterjee, India
1960–64 Carl Troll, Germany
1956–60 Hans Wilhelmsson Ahlmann, Sweden
1952–56 L. Dudley Stamp, United Kingdom
1949–52 George B. Cressey, United States
1938–49 Emmanuel de Martonne, France
1934–38 Sir Charles Close, United Kingdom
1931–34 Isaiah Bowman, United States
1928–31 General Robert Bourgeois, France
1924–28 General Nicola Vacchelli, Italy
1922–24 Prince Roland Bonaparte, France

Secretaries-General and Treasurers

2021–present Barbaros Gönençgil, Turkey, acting
2010–20 Michael Meadows, South Africa
2008–10 Yu Woo-ik, South Korea
2000–08 Ronald Francis Abler, United States
1992–2000 Eckart Ehlers, Germany
1984–92 Leszek A. Kosiński, Canada
1976–84 Walther Manshard, Germany
1968–76 Chauncy D. Harris, United States
1956–68 Hans Boesch, Switzerland
1949–56 George H. T. Kimble, Canada
1940-49 Marguerite Lefèvre, Belgium
1938–40 Paul Michotte, Belgium
1931–38 Emmanuel de Martonne, France
1928–31 Filippo De Filippi, Italy
1922–28 Sir Charles Close, United Kingdom

Commissions and Task Forces

The IGU is organized into a number of commissions and task forces that deal with specific topics.^[1]

The commission topics include e.g. specific approaches (e.g. Applied Geography), topics (e.g. Climatology, Health and Environment), methods (e.g. Geographical Information Science), and spatial examples (e.g. Mediterranean Basin). There are also commissions for the International Olympiad and Geographical Education.

The two task forces are "Young and Early-Career Geographers" and "Centennial and Sesquicentennial".

IGU-CGE

The IGU-CGE (Commission on Geographical Education) focuses on geography education. It is currently headed by co-chairs Clare Brooks (UK) and Chew-Hung Chang (Singapore).^[2]

It publishes the IRGEE journal and organizes yearly conferences.^[3] The "International Charter on Geographical Education" constitutes an international agreement on different aspects of geography education with global impacts. The 2016 charter features important geography education research questions and policy recommendations. As such the charter is: Convinced that geographical education is indispensable to the development of responsible and active citizens in the present and future world; Conscious that geography can be an informing, enabling and stimulating subject at all levels in education, and contributes to a lifelong enjoyment and understanding of our world; Aware that students require increasing international competence in order to ensure effective cooperation on a broad range of economic, political, cultural and environmental issues in a shrinking world; Concerned that geographical education is neglected in some parts of the world, and lacks structure and coherence in others; Ready to assist colleagues in counteracting geographical illiteracy in all countries of the world. ^[4] In the 1992 charter there is also information on geographic questions, key concepts, approaches and the selection of spatial examples.^[5]

List of congresses

International Geographical Congresses have been held as follows:^[6]

* Extraordinary Congress

Congress number	Year	City
1st	1922	Paris
2nd	1928	Cambridge
3rd	1931	Paris
4th	1934	Warsaw
5th	1938	Amsterdam
6th	1949	Lisbon
7th	1952	Washington, D.C.
8th	1956	Rio de Janeiro
9th	1960	Stockholm
10th	1964	London
11th	1968	New Delhi
12th	1972	Montreal
13th	1976	Moscow
14th	1980	Tokyo
15th	1984	Paris
16th	1988	Sydney
17th	1992	Washington, D.C.
18th	1996	The Hague
19th	2000	Seoul
20th	2004	Glasgow
21st	2008	Tunis
22nd	2012	Cologne
23rd	2016	Beijing
24th	2021	Istanbul^{[upper-alpha 1]}
*	2022	Paris^{[upper-alpha 2]}
25th	2024	Dublin
26th	2028	Melbourne

Notes

↑ Originally scheduled for 2020, the Congress was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
↑ Extraordinary Congress for IGU Centenary.

References

↑ "Commissions" (in en-US). IGU Online. https://igu-online.org/organization/commissions/.
↑ "People - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/steering-committee/.
↑ "Home - IGU CGE" (in en-US). http://www.igu-cge.org/.
↑ "2016 Charter - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/2016-charter/.
↑ "1992 Charter - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/1992-charter/.
↑ "List of congresses" (in English). International Geographical Union. 3 August 2021. https://igu-online.org/events/international-geographical-congress/.

Kish, George (1992) "International Geographical Union: A Brief History" GeoJournal 26, No. 2:224-228 ISSN 0343-2521
Marie-Claire Robic, Anne-Marie Briend, Mechtild Rössler (eds.) (1996) Geographers to the world. The International Geographical Union and the International Geographical Congress Paris: L'Harmattan ISBN:9782738445735
Dunbar, Gary S. (2001) Geography: Discipline, Profession and Subject since 1870: An International Survey Kluwer Academic Publishers ISBN:1-4020-0019-7 pg 36
Lidstone, John; Williams, Michael (2006) Geographical Education in a Changing World: Past Experience, Current Trends and Future Challenges Springer ISBN:978-1-4020-4806-7 pg 39
International Geographical Union (IGU)
Royal Irish Academy (RIA)

External links

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International Geographical Union. Read more

[7] Originally scheduled for 2020, the Congress was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[8] Extraordinary Congress for IGU Centenary.

[1] "Commissions" (in en-US). IGU Online. https://igu-online.org/organization/commissions/.

[2] "People - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/steering-committee/.

[3] "Home - IGU CGE" (in en-US). http://www.igu-cge.org/.

[4] "2016 Charter - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/2016-charter/.

[5] "1992 Charter - IGU CGE" (in en-US). IGU CGE. http://www.igu-cge.org/1992-charter/.

[6] "List of congresses" (in English). International Geographical Union. 3 August 2021. https://igu-online.org/events/international-geographical-congress/.

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