TOKYO, Sept 7 – Our team INSPIRE, from Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), comprising postgraduate student Year 1 Khairul Shazwan Mamat, undergraduate students Year 4 Andre Tristan Ho Tze Lek and Khairil Daniell Rusidi from the Department of Electronic System Engineering (ESE), together with Dr. Fitri Yakub, participated in the International Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Summer School held at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT), Etchujima, Koto City, Tokyo, from 31 August to 7 September 2025.
The 8-day program, fully sponsored by the Cabinet Office of Japan (CAO), included round-trip airfare, accommodation in Kiba, and a cultural tour of Tokyo. This opportunity was awarded as part of the MGA Award (First Place) received at the Rapid Prototype Development (RPD) Challenge 2024, organized by Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA), the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), Thailand, and the CAO. The Summer School itself was coordinated by the Institute of Positioning, Navigation and Timing of Japan (IPNTJ).
The Summer School spanned six days (1 to 6 September 2025) and brought together over 40 participants from around the world. It featured expert lectures, hands-on workshops, and system design exercises, covering a wide range of GNSS-related topics. During this program, we were given the opportunity to hear from several experts and renowned individuals famous for their contributions to the GNSS field, be it research, application, improvement and so on.
These included President of IPNTJ Prof. Akio Yasuda, Prof. Dr. Nobuaki Kubo, Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Kaito Kobayashi and Assoc. Prof. Mika Okochi, all from TUMSAT. Also present were Dr. Akira Kodaka of Keio University, Dr. Taro Suzuki of Chiba Institute of Technology, and Dr. Yoshinori Shoji of the University of Tokyo. Research representatives included Dr. Toru Takahashi of the Electronic Navigation Research Instituteand Satoshi Abe of the Geospatioal Information Agency of Japan.
From industry, the programme welcomed Dr. Ivan Petrovski II, President and Chief Engineer of iP-Solutions, Japan; Dr. Dinesh Manandhar, Founder and Chief Development Officer (CDO) of LocationMind; Jan De Turck, Sales Manager of Septentrio; Dr. Joshua Critchley-Marrows, Lead of PNT-related technical activities at ArkEdge Space; Yohei Kimura of Furuno Electric; and Kenji Mikami, Executive Director for QZSS Strategy at the CAO National Space Policy Sectretariat.
Dr. Ivan Petrovski’s lecture was on the fundamentals of GNSS technology, including a review of GNSS receivers, positioning, satellite orbits and GNSS simulator hardware & software. Dr. Toru Takahashi’s lecture was on positioning algorithm by pseudo-ranges, processing of Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) files, differential Global Positioning System (GPS) as well as various considerations for improved results, all conducted within Python.
Dr. Dinesh Manandhar’s lecture was on GNSS signal authentication, including a full breakdown on signal authentication as well as its applications and challenges. Dr. Taro Suzuki’s lecture covered an introduction to GNSS signals, GNSS receiver and INS integration. He talked about spread-spectrum concepts and benefits for GNSS, GNSS frequencies and their specifics regarding radio signal propagation, code, carrier and navigation message, and signal generation using GNSS simulator. In addition, his section on GNSS receiver and Inertial Navigation System (INS) integration covered receiver main components and their functions, baseband processor in detail, GPS and INS integration, and lastly the ionospheric scintillation effect on GPS/GNSS/INS tracking.
Dr. Kaito Kobayashi introduced us to the Pocket SDR, an open-source, low-cost Software-Defined Radio (SDR) system developed by Professor Tomoji Takasu of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, designed to receive and process GNSS signals. Theory was talked about in detail, but we did not conduct any practical work.
Dr. Nobuaki Kubo’s lecture was on carrier-phase-based positioning with GNSS, theory of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) and Precise Point Positioning (PPP), and RTK Library (RTKLIB) practice including RTK and PPP practice with RTKLIB, the last of which was conducted by Dr. Kaito Kobayashi using RTK-LIB software. Jan De Turk’s lecture was on Septentrio GNSS receiver software practice, and his company was one of three sponsors of the summer school program.
The other two sponsors also had their own speakers who gave lectures during the program, who were Dr. Joshua Critchley-Marrows of ArkEdge Space who gave a lecture on his company and the concept of Low Earth Orbit-Position, Navigation and Timing (LEO-PNT), and Yohei Kimura of Furuno Electric who gave a lecture about recent progress in Furuno GNSS Receivers for Time Synchronization.
Kenji Mikami of CAO gave a lecture on Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) MICHIBIKI overview, with the MICHIBIKI satellite being Japan’s GNSS satellite, and QZSS being Japan’s GNSS constellation. The aforementioned System Design Lecture & Workshop was conducted by Dr. Akira Kodaka of Keio University and his team. Dr. Yoshinori Shoji’s lecture was on GPS/GNSS meteorology, Satoshi Abe’s lecture was on GNSS Earth Observation Network System (GEONET) which is a nationwide network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) in Japan.
Finally Mika Okochi’s lecture was on GNSS & Space Law (GNSS technology & space exploration and applications from a legal standpoint). Practical work during the program included the aforementioned system design workshop, a tutorial on using software with high-accuracy GNSS receiver (by Septentrio), usage of RTK-LIB software, GNSS mathematics and data handling using Python, and lastly a group discussion on an imaginary scenario involving GNSS simulators as explained during Dr. Ivan’s lecture (fundamentals). In short, the team were deeply enlightened on GNSS technology, both on the technology itself as well as its countless applications and developments which included opinions from some of the most established figures in the field.
In addition to academic sessions, participants engaged in cultural and networking activities. These included the Welcome and Farewell Dinners on 1 and 5 September, which provided opportunities to foster cross-cultural connections, as well as a campus tour that featured a visit to Meiji Maru, a historic training ship designated as an Important Cultural Property, and the Meiji Maru Maritime Museum.
The program concluded with a Tokyo City Tour on 7 September, organized by the CAO. The tour covered major landmarks, such as the Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace Plaza, Akasuka, Odaiba, Rainbow Bridge, and Tokyo Skytree, and ended with a memorable Yakatabune Dinner Cruise along the Sumida River.
The program significantly enhanced the participant’s technical knowledge, providing them with a deeper understanding of GNSS fundamentals, advanced positioning techniques, signal authentication, meteorological applicants and even the integration of GNSS with legal and policy perspectives.
In addition, the participants developed practical skills through hands-on experience with tools such as the RTKLIB open-source software, specialized GNSS receiver applications, and system design workshops. These sessions not only reinforced their theoretical learning but also equipped them with real-world technical competencies.
Equally important were the global networking and cultural experiences gained throughout the program. Participants built lasting connections with researchers, engineers, and students from diverse countries including Japan, Thailand, Cameroon, Mauritius, Russia, India, Pakistan, the United States, Taiwan, and China, among others. They also had the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japanese history, culture, and technology through organized tours and guided cultural activities.
We express our deepest gratitude to MGA, GISTDA, and the CAO for organizing and sponsoring the RPD Challenge and this invaluable learning experience. Special thanks to UTM and MJIIT for their continuous support, as well as to Dr. Fitri Yakub for his guidance and encouragement.
The International GNSS Summer School 2025 was a transformative experience that combined cutting-edge knowledge, practical training, and international collaboration. The exposure to leading experts, industry technologies, and diverse perspectives has inspired our team to further contribute to GNSS research and applications. This milestone will remain a significant step in our academic and professional journey.