U-M China Data Center hosts most visiting scholars ever

ANN ARBOR-The visiting scholars program at the University of Michigan China Data Center has accepted a record 16 participants in the current academic year. The center was founded in 1997 to advance the study and understanding of China, with a primary goal of integrating historical, social and natural science data of China into a robust geographic information system that advances a range of quantitative and spatial research. "Not many scholars understand what kind of data are available, and what kind of methodology can be applied to the main research areas they are interested in," said China Data Center director Shuming Bao. "They learn the spatial technology here, and spatial methodology. We provide the data support and training to do this kind of research." Spatial information services incorporate a variety of data into a computer system that can be used to generate maps overlaid with visual information, as well as charts. Data types include demographic and economic statistics, industrial censuses, geographic and environmental data and administrative maps. Spatial tools such as those developed by the China Data Center help researchers visualize connections among data and geographic regions.