(24-10-2025) The course Integrated International Projectwork received second place in the ENLIGHT Teaching & Learning Awards at the ENLIGHT conference in Uppsala, Sweden. This course from the Master's programme in Geography and Geomatics offers students a unique learning experience through an international research trip. Students work in multidisciplinary teams on current societal and ecological challenges. They design their own research project, conduct fieldwork in collaboration with local and international partners, and present their findings in a conference setting. Students describe the course as "a once-in-a-lifetime experience" and "the best part of their education".

(09-09-2025) On Wednesday, 3 September 2025, Tianchen Zheng successfully defended her doctoral thesis: ‘“Landscape perception through the lens of language: Approaches and Applications”. Supervisors: Prof. dr. Tim Van de Voorde (Ghent University), Prof. dr. Veerle Van Eetvelde (Ghent University) Examination committee: Prof. Alain De Wulf (Chair) (Ghent University), Prof. dr. Haosheng Huang (Ghent University), Dr. Alex Levering (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Prof. dr. Ross Purves (University of Zurich), Prof. dr. Nico Van de Weghe (Ghent University).

Congratulations Tianchen!

(09-09-2025) On Wednesday, 3 September 2025, Xucai Zhang successfully defended his doctoral thesis: ‘Deep Learning with Geographic Context: a GeoAI Framework for Urban Prediction’. Supervisors: Prof. Haosheng Huang (Ghent University), Prof. Frank Witlox (Ghent University) Examination committee: Prof. Alain De Wulf (Chair) (Ghent University), Prof. Tao Cheng (University of London), Prof. Nico Van de Weghe (Ghent University), Prof. Ivana Semanjski (Ghent University), Dr. Laure De Cock (Ghent University)

Congratulations, Xucia!

(29-08-2025) Mobile phone traffic can help measure how hard it is raining. The Department of Geography at Ghent University is collaborating with the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI) on an innovative system to monitor local precipitation more accurately using GSM signals. Geographer Kwinten Van Weverberg explains that the signal attenuation of GSM traffic can be directly converted into rain intensity. The technique offers particular added value in hilly terrain such as the Ardennes, where radars are less effective, or in places where precipitation data is scarce, such as in Central Africa. The system can also be used to determine the type of precipitation in winter and to control early warning systems.

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/08/22/weer-voorspellen-universiteit-gent-kmi-lokaal-neerslag/

(08-07-2025) On Thursday, 26 June 2025, Tiago Azeredo Dionísio successfully defended his PhD: “Who we are, what we feel and how we behave in the landscape: A study on place-bonds in Belgium and Portugal”.

Supervisors: Prof. Dr.Veerle Van Eetvelde (Ghent University), Prof. Dr. Fátima Bernardo (Évora University), Dr. Kim Dierckx (Ghent University)

Examination Committee: Prof. Dr. Haosheng Huang (Chair) (Ghent University), Prof. Dr. Marc Antrop (Ghent University), Prof. Dr. Isabel Loupa-Ramos (Ghent University, Instituto Superior Técnico – Lisbon University), Prof. Dr. Ruth Krebs (Ghent University), Prof. Dr. Maria Lewicka (Nicolaus Copernicus University), Prof. Dr. Andreas Aagaard Christensen (Roskilde University)

Congratulations Tiago!

(23-06-2025) The GeoAI Research Center and UGent Crime Lab are offering a full-time PhD position in the field of Geospatial AI (GeoAI) and Geography of Crime at Ghent University. The position starts on 1 October 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate will contribute to a research project on geographic patterns of crime and their environmental determinants, focusing on:

• Fine-grained spatial data modelling of street environments using GeoAI
• Understanding the role of geographic environment in crimes and crime diversity
• Spatio-temporal analysis based on large-scale geospatial data

Applications (in English) must be submitted by 1 September 2025 and include:

1. A cover letter (max. 2 pages)
2. A CV with one referee
3. Bachelor and master transcripts or interim documents
4. A 1-page summary of your master's thesis or recent research work

For more information and the full job description, visit: https://geoai.ugent.be

(23-06-2025) GIS-T.eu is an educational platform (in multiple languages) involving the department, which supports teachers and students in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) within current themes such as sustainability, land use and, above all, climate change (https://gis-t.eu/).

The free MOOC GIS for the Future forms the heart of the site (https://gis-t.eu/gis-for-the-future/). This course contains 51 detailed lessons that thematically address climate challenges, from heat stress and flood risks to sustainable energy and urban greening. Each lesson is supported by instructional videos and concrete GIS assignments that teach students how to analyse and visually represent data.

With GIS-T.eu, you can bring climate education to life in the classroom: interactive, investigative and future-oriented. Discover how you can use GIS to teach students to look critically at their environment and explore solutions for tomorrow's world.

(16-02-2025) On Thursday, 6 February 2025, Xueqing Liu successfully defended her PhD: " Interconnected Cities, Integrated Markets: Dynamics of Urban Networks in Explaining Regional Market Integration in China’s Megacity-regions"

Supervisors Prof. Dr. Frank Witlox, Ghent University Prof. Dr. Ben Derudder, KU Leuven, Ghent University

Examination Committee Prof. Dr. Nico Van de Weghe(Chair), Ghent University Prof. Dr. Kurt Fuellhart, Ghent University Prof. Dr. Jonathan Beaverstock, University of Bristol Dr. Yuting Yang, KU Leuven Prof. Dr. Weiyang Zhang, East China Normal University

Congratulations Xueqing!

(16-01-2025) In January 2025, several researchers from Social and Economic Geography participated in the TRB annual meeting in Washington DC, a premier global gathering of transportation professionals, featuring thousands of presentations that showcase cutting-edge research in transportation. Tanhua Jin's paper (Evaluating the Potential of the ‘15-Minute City’ Concept in the United States via Activity-Based Mobility Patterns) won the Best Paper Award from the TRB2025 AED20 Committee on Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems.

Co-authors: Kailai Wang, Yanan Xin, Jian Shi, Ye Hong and Frank Witlox

(17-12-2024) In this episode, host Liselotte Erauw talks with Nico Van de Weghe (Ghent University) about GeoAI—the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that elevates geographical analysis. They explore practical applications, challenges related to data and ethics, and the evolving role of geographers in an AI-driven world.

3 reasons to listen:

• Discover how GeoAI is transforming the future of geography.
• Learn how AI contributes to better insights while understanding where human control remains essential.
• Be inspired by practical examples and sharp insights.

Curious about the full discussion and how GeoAI is reshaping geography? Listen to the podcast and share your vision on GeoAI!

Note: This episode is Dutch-spoken.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Fx3ZUyV2kXv6zoLQfU1C6?si=f2-QpaLmRRWhZU9859WHHg

(25-11-2024) "My Digital Ecological Library" is an international project aimed at integrating environmental education into curricula and creating innovative educational materials. Within the scope of the project, eight partners from Belgium (EUROGEO), France, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and Turkey are working together. The project is carried out in cooperation with universities, associations and schools. The main goal of our project is to increase environmental awareness and enable teachers to use innovative methods in their classrooms by providing the necessary educational materials for a sustainable future.

The first step was developing a new curriculum on environmental education. As a result, a learning line was developed with topics that grow in complexity over the years. The next step is to develop materials for each of the topics. To test out that material, pupils from the French, Lithuanian, Romanian, Turkish and Spanish project partners met in El Ejido, Almeria Spain, at the end of September. The feedback from the pupils will help to better develop the material.