The PhD Blended Intensive Program on Space Applications for Global Sustainable Development is open

The initiative provides hands-on training in spatial analysis and GIS, giving students the tools to independently study sustainability issues on a global and local scale. Participants engage with open data, cutting-edge software, and researchers from academia and international organisations such as the UN and ESA.

The course combines technical skills with policy discussions, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and equipping students to apply space applications in sustainability research.  

The activity will be implemented as a blended PhD Summer School coordinated by Malmö University in collaboration with Erasmus University and University of Łódź, combining online preparation (25 May–17 June 2026) with an intensive on-site week (7–12 June) in Malmö.   

Two online pre-sessions introduce basic GIS.  The on-site week includes lectures, seminars, excursions and laboratories.

Training covers remote sensing and GIS, with applied labs on rising sea levels, deforestation, urban green spaces, and nighttime light as a proxy for human development. Examination seminars will be held online after the on-site week. A full-day laboratory on 3D photogrammetry including drone-based modelling, a smartphone field research walk, and reconstruction of monuments in urban settings led by Artur Gajdos and Marcin Feltynowski (University of Łódź).  

By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:

• Understand how space technologies support sustainability.  Learn what tools like remote sensing and GIS can do, and why they matter for global and local sustainability challenges.

• Use satellite data and GIS tools. Work with open‑access data and software to analyse land use, environmental change and socio‑economic patterns.

• Analyse real sustainability issues.  Explore how environmental, economic and social factors connect in real places, using real‑world data.

Recruitment will be carried out locally trough each UNIC partners. 

For Erasmus University PhD student please apply emailing krul@rsm.nl. You can send a brief motivation (around 300 words) on why this course would be relevant for your practice and relevant information about your background. 

Apply before 24th April. 

• Free for PhD candidates of UNIC universities (excluding travel and accommodation)

• Travel and accommodation can be partially covered via Erasmus + funding.

You can find more information on the content on the University of Malmö's website.