From Aug. 28 to Aug.31, 2018, the 10th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2018) sponsored by the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Polytechnic University, was held at the Royal University of Melbourne. At the invitation of the organizer, Prof. Liao Shunbao attended the meeting.

The conference is divided into two stages: Seminar and group report, covering location privacy and security, big data and machine learning, mobile data analysis, blockchain technology, data science, spatial analysis, open and volunteer data, image processing and classification, spatial pattern detection and prediction, computational geometry, indoor environment, dynamic mapping, space and language.

In the seminar stage, Prof. Liao Shunbao participated in the seminar on "Spatial Big Data and Machine Learning". Some free talks and discusses around six aspects were included, among which the speech on the application frontier of spatial big data and machine learning and the shortcomings and limitations of over reliance on spatial big data and machine learning were acknowledged by the participants. In the group report stage of the conference, Prof. Liao Shunbao participated in the exchange of "spatial analysis" module and made an academic report entitled "Exploration of Relationship between Land Cover Distribution Pattern and Terrain Factors", introducing the latest research achievements in this field. Through the exchange and interaction with international peers, we further understood the latest development trend, research focus and hot spots of geographic information science; made clear the direction for future research and teaching, and deepened the understanding of international peers on the College of disaster prevention science and technology.

The International Geographic Information Science Conference is known as the flagship conference in the field of geographic information science. The conference attracted more than 220 representatives from Australia, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Korea and other countries.