(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

(03-07-2024) On Tuesday 25 June 2024, Zhicheng Zhan successfully defended his PhD: "Analyzing Crowdsourced Indoor Route Descriptions to Facilitate Indoor Navigation".

Supervisors: Prof Nico Van de Weghe (UGent), Prof Haosheng Huang (UGent).

Members of the examination committee: Chairman: Prof Alain De Wulf (UGent), Prof Georg Gartner (Vienna University of Technology), Prof Philippe De Maeyer (UGent), Dr Pepijn Viaene (HoGent), Dr Laure De Cock (UGent).

(26-06-2024) On Thursday, June 6, professor emeritus Philippe De Maeyer explained the 3D reconstruction of the so-called Mercator globes on the morning Espresso program on Klara. Such 3D reconstructions are typically done by frequently photographing an object from different angles. The modeling came about through a collaboration between the CartoGIS and 3D Data Acquisition research groups, with the help of Dr. Cornelis Stal and Prof. Alain De Wulf. You can re-watch the radio broadcast in question here.

(06-06-2024) Landscape is both a physical reality and the representation we make of it. It constitutes a set of natural and anthropological elements and evokes feelings and emotions. The European Landscape Convention emphasizes that when taking measures to protect, manage and plan landscapes, all dimensions must be considered.

With this in mind, GEOLAND - an Erasmus+ KA2 Higher Education project - focused on NATURA 2000 sites with the aim of creating a learning path for students and professors in landscape monitoring and protection, using digital tools such as GIS and participatory techniques.

The project was rated final by Europe with a score of 96%.

https://www.geolandproject.eu/

(06-06-2024) From March 10 to 15, 2025, the second project meeting + learning and teaching training (LTT) of the project “My Digital Eco Lab” took place at the department. The department is the only university partner in this project and consequently the content leader of the project, Luc Zwartjes is involved. During this training, the project partners learned to work with all kinds of GIS-related tools.

(06-06-2024) On May 15-16, the 3rd project meeting of the “My Digital Eco Lab” project took place at the Lyceé Gabriel Peri in Chambery (near Paris). The department is the only university partner in this project and consequently the content leader of the project, Luc Zwartjes is involved. Besides time to get to know the school and work on the project, there was also time for a short trip to Montmartre.

(06-06-2024) On Thursday, May 30, Prof. Nico Van de Weghe gave a keynote at the EUROGEO 2024 congress “Compromised geography: spreading a new world.”

His talk on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and GeoAI was much enjoyed by the congress members. After the keynote, a few slots went into more depth on GeoAI.

(28-05-2024) On Wednesday 22 May 2024, our colleagues from the CartoGIS proudly hosted the inaugural GeoAI Research Center Kick-off Event, which brought together more than 50 (inter)national participants. This gathering featured a series of insightful lightning talks followed by engaging discussions, showcasing the dynamic and evolving nature of GeoAI research. While the event marked a significant milestone, it also highlighted the extensive work that lies ahead for our research community. We are committed to continuing this momentum and furthering our collaborative efforts in GeoAI. Stay tuned for future developments and opportunities to get involved!

(22-05-2024) On Monday 21 MAY 2024, prof. Mingshu WANG from Glasgow University visited the Department and gave a lecture on “Graph Convolutional Networks for Street Network Analysis”.

Prof Wang is a Senior Lecturer (Tenured Associate Professor) in Geospatial Data Science at the University of Glasgow. He is also a Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) and a visiting researcher at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on developing and applying GIScience methods and big data analytics to understand urban systems and development. Empirically, he investigates the relationship between urban structure and city performance at the macro-scale and the relationship between the built environment and collective human behavior at the micro-scale. He has received research grants from Dutch Research Council (NWO), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Microsoft. He is an Editor of Asian Geographer and an Associate Editor of ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, and Regional Studies, Regional Science.