Switzerland

ETH Zurich

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich)

Switzerland, Zurich, Zurich

Unit: Institute of Cartography and Geoinformation

The Institutes of ETH Zurich about GIS are located in the Department of Civil Engineering, Environment and Surveying (D-BAUG). D-BAUG has many research institutes, including Geodesy and Photogrammetry (IGP), Cartography and Geoinformation (IKG), Spatial and Landscape Development (IRL), Transport Planning and Systems (IVT), etc. Professors and Researchers from this department also participate in related research in Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory. The master’s program includes Master in geomatics, which can choose two directions from Engineering geodesy and photogrammetry, Space geodesy and Navigation, GIS and cartography, and planning (German). Doctoral positions are released from time to time according to project needs. You can check open Positions on the homepage of each department or laboratory.

Professors and Researchers:

  • Lorenz Hurni: cartographic data models and tools, multidimensional multimedia maps;
  • Martin Raubal: mobile GIS & LBS, spatial cognitive engineering, mobile eye-tracking, GIS for renewable energy analysis;
  • Konrad Schindler: photogrammetry, remote sensing, computer vision, image understanding;
  • Adrienne Grêt-Regamey: landscape planning, Human-environment interaction, environmental management;
  • David Kaufmann: public policy, urban studies, planning, migration studies;
  • Kay W. Axhausen: transport planning, big data transport models, traffic behaviour modeling;
  • Francesco Corman: public transport, railway networks, transport operations, logistics systems.

University of Zurich

Universität Zürich (University of Zurich, UZH)

Switzerland, Zurich, Zurich

Unit: Department of Geography

The University of Zurich is located in the German-speaking area of Switzerland and is the largest comprehensive university in Switzerland. The Department of Geography at the University of Zurich has a comprehensive development and strength, doing research on physical geography, human geography, GIS, and remote sensing. The master’s programs in this department mainly include master’s programs in geography (including general geography, physical geography, human geography, remote sensing, and GIS), and earth system science master programs. The department will open targeted doctoral positions for applications according to the needs of the project.

Professors and Researchers:

  • Sara Irina Fabrikant: GIScience & Cognition, Cartography, Geovisual Analytics;
  • Tumasch Reichenbacher: Interface of GIS, Mobile & Cognitive Cartography, Visual Analytics, Human-Computer Interaction;
  • Oliver Grübner: Health Geography, Spatial & Digital Epidemiology;
  • Robert Weibel: GIScience, Map generalization, Computational Movement Analysis, Language and Space;
  • Peter Ranacher: GIS, Movement, Data Mining, Trajectories;
  • Cheng Fu: Data mining and modeling on human-behavior-related Big Data, Urban place modeling, Mobility and health, Geographical information retrieval and visualization;
  • Ross Purves: GIS, Cryosphere, Environmental Modelling, Uncertainty;
  • Sharon Richardson: GIS, Situated Intelligence; Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Ambiguity and Uncertainty in behaviour models;
  • Felix Morsdorf: Laser scanning, Vegetation structure, Radiative Transfer Modelling, Information extraction, Computer Vision;
  • David Small: SAR Interferometry, Radiometric calibration, SAR Geocoding;
  • Daniel Henke: SAR, Remote Sensing;
  • Mathias Kneubühler: Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, Imaging Spectroscopy, Spectro-Directional, Multi-Angular Measurements and Data Analysis, Ecosystems, Plant Phenology;
  • Claudia Röösli: Biodiversity, Seismology, Glaciology, Earth Observation;
  • Michael Schaepman: Earth observation, Remote Sensing, Spectroscopy to measure biodiversity from space;
  • Bernhard Schmid: Plants, Remote Sensing, Plant Ecology, Biodiversity, Evolutionary Ecology & Biology;
  • Daniel Odermatt: Remote Sensing, Water Surfaces, Bio-optical models, Fiducial measurements for satellite Earth observation, Application development;
  • Alexander Damm: Remote Sensing, Imaging Spectroscopy, Chlorophyll Fluorescence, Water Cycle;
  • Maria J. Santos: Social-ecological systems, Global change effects in species and ecosystems, Imaging spectroscopy, GIS and statistical modeling;
  • Maarten Eppinga: Remote Sensing, Environmental science, Ecology;
  • Meredith Christine Schuman: Plant Interactions, Chemical Ecology, Genetics, Biodiversity, Remote Sensing.

EPFL

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Switzerland, Vaud, Lausanne

Units:LASIG LabTOPO LabALPOLE Research Center

The GIS/RS-related professors and researchers of EPFL are mainly concentrated in the Department of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, including the Laboratory of Geographic Information Systems (LASIG), Geodetic Engineering Laboratory (TOPO), EPFL’s Alpine and Polar Research Centre And research center, doing researches on GIS application, satellite positioning, RS algorithm, and other research directions. The related GIS/RS program of EPFL is the master’s program of environmental engineering. The entrance degree for the master’s program is bachelor’s degree and the duration is 2 years. After graduating from the master’s program, the student can continue pursuing the Ph.D. degree.

Professors and Researchers:

  • Francois Golay: Web-GIS, spatial analysis, geospatial science, geoinformation, geomatics;
  • Stéphane Joost: geographic information science, landscape genomics, seascape genomics, spatial epidemiology, Geomedicine & Precision population health;
  • Bertrand Merminod: satellite location, geodetic networks, navigation devices and algorithms, least-squares estimate, recurring filtering and smoothing;
  • Jan Skaloud: satellite positioning, inertial and integrated navigation, sensor orientation and calibration, Mobile mapping, airborne laser scanning, adjustment methods, kalman filtering;
  • Devis Tuia: earth observation, remote sensing: from drones to satellites, Machine learning, deep learning, image processing.

University of Lausanne

Université de Lausanne (University of Lausanne, UNIL)

Switzerland, Vaud, Lausanne

Unit:Institute of geography and sustainability

As an interdisciplinary research institute, the Institute of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Lausanne does research on the fields of physical geography, human geography, and GIS/RS. The content of the GIS master’s course of this institute is the specific direction of the master of geography. The entrance degree for the master’s program is bachelor’s degree and the duration is 2 years. After graduating from the master’s program, the student can continue pursuing the Ph.D. degree.

Professors and Researchers:

  • François Bavaud: Flows Analysis and Spatial Autocorrelation, Network clustering, Data mining and Information Theory;
  • Christian Kaiser: Geovisualization, Spatial Analysis, Spatial databases, Socio-economic simulation and modeling;
  • Stuart Lane: Remote Sensing, Geomorphology, Hydrology, Physical Geography;
  • Grégoire Mariéthoz: Remote Sensing, Earth Surface Processes, Geostatistics, Hydroclimatology;
  • Antoine Guisan: Spatial Ecology, Habitat Suitability and Distribution Modeling, Species Diversity, Natural Resource Management.

University of Bern

Universität Bern (University of Bern, UNIBE)

Switzerland, Bern, Bern

Unit:Institute of Geography

The Institute of Geography at the University of Bern was established at the end of the 19th century. It focuses more on traditional geographical research and consists of 11 research units. The GIS/RS program at this institute is mainly academic. The average graduation period is 2-3 years for master’s degree and 3-4 years for doctoral degree. Course directions: Human geography, Physical geography, Integrative Geography, land use, etc.

Professors and Researchers:

  • Chinwe IFEJIKA SPERANZA: GIS, Social-Ecological Systems Modeling, Land use and Cover Analysis, Sustainable Land Management, Environmental Policy;
  • Andreas Zischg: GIS and Geodata analysis, Coupled Component Modeling, Impacts of Extreme events;
  • Stefan Wunderle: Remote Sensing in Climatology (Snow, Albedo, LSWT, Fire, Vegetation, Aerosols, Clouds);
  • Peter Messerli: Spatial analysis, Ecology, Sustainable Development, Land Use Change;
  • Sandra Eckert: Remote Sensing, Species Distribution Modelling, Land Use.

University of Geneva

Université de Genève (University of Geneva, UNIGE)

Switzerland, Geneva, Geneva

Unit:Institute for Environmental Sciences

The University of Geneva has a long history of environmental science research. At the beginning of this century, the Institute of Environmental Science was integrated and established on the basis of the previous Department of Geography. The institute’s research on GIS/RS is mainly distributed in Metadata & Socio-economics, Data & Information sustainability, Spatially-Explicit environment modeling. There are two GIS/RS programs in the institute. The entrance degree for the master’s program is bachelor’s degree and the duration is 2 years. After graduating from the master’s program, the student can continue pursuing the Ph.D. degree. There is also a 30-credit course-based minor program, which can be obtained as a minor certificate.

Professors and Researchers:

  • Dao Hy: GIS, Web-Mapping, Spatial Data Infrastructure, Development Indicators, Risk Assessment, Planetary Boundaries, Population Mapping;
  • Anthony Lehmann: Spatial and Statistical Analyses, Modeling for Biodiversity, Hydrology, Ecosystem Services, Climate-Water-Ecosystem Nexus, Sustainability Assessments;
  • Nicolas Ray: Spatial ecology, Population genetics, Spatial Data Infrastructure, GIS, Global Health;
  • Gregory Giuliani: Land Change, GIS, Remote Sensing, Spatial Data Infrastructure, GEO/GEOSS, Digital Earth;
  • Pierre Lacroix: Environmental Modelling and Geoprocessing, Interface between Science and Policy, Spatial Data Infrastructure.