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Institute of Geography

Research areas and focus of the institute

The transformation of metropolitan regions offers challenges and opportunities for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The mission of the Institute of Geography is to advance scientific understanding of the developments and design options of spatial transformation processes in metropolitan regions.

Research and teaching at the Institute of Geography focus on three main areas: Resilient Cities, Smart Cities, and Green and Equitable Cities. These focal areas are addressed in close cooperation among the 14 working groups and across the thematic fields of Human Geography, Physical Geography, Geography Didactics, Geomatics and Environmental Analysis and Planning.
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Current news from the Institute of Geography
22. Oktober 2025 – Ein Herz für die Lehre: Bei Klausurtagung des Geographischen Instituts stand die Ausbildung im Mittelpunkt
[Read more] GI-News
15. Oktober 2025 – RePIC Urban Sustainability Transformations Research Forum
[Read more] GI-News, Studinews
10. Oktober 2025 – Annual Meeting of the AK Fernerkundung at the Institute of Geography
[Read more] Urban Remote Sensing, Interdisciplinary geographic information sciences, GI-News
09. Oktober 2025 – IMECOGIP at the 8th Ecoserv conference in Poznan
Can cultural Ecosystem services be integrated in EnhancES?
[Read more] Applied Physical Geography, GI-News
08. Oktober 2025 – Einblick in die XR-Forschung: Beyond Domains – XR Research of the Future
[Read more] Cartography, GI-News
01. Oktober 2025 – Water Research Horizon Conference at RUB
This week, we supported the Water Research Horizon Conference. It was a pleasure to discuss sustainable urban water cycles.
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News
01.10.2025 – New group on nighttime light remote sensing grounded in the GI
As of October 1, Christopher Kyba has taken up a new post as Heisenberg Professor for Nighttime Lights Remote Sensing. The working group will advance European capabilities in this expanding subfield of remote sensing through both research and teaching activities.
[Read more] Nighttime Lights Remote Sensing, GI-News
01. Oktober 2025 – Jetzt veröffentlicht: Der WeltRisikoBericht 2025
[Read more] Urban Remote Sensing, GI-News
22. September 2025 – Professor W2 (m/f/d) in Human Geography specializing in the governance of urban and regional transformation processes
[Read more] GI-News
12. September 2025 – New Visiting Researchers Arrive at the College
Eight international scholars from the social sciences and humanities have started their fellowships at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities of the University Alliance Ruhr in Essen where they will spend the next six months working on collaborative research projects.
[Read more] GI-News
11. September 2025 – Geographische Forschung zwischen Bodenständigkeit und dem Wunsch abzuheben: Der neue Newsletter ist da
[Read more] GI-News
09. September 2025 – Bochum startet Wetterstationsnetz für klimagerechte Stadtentwicklung
Bochum, 04.09.2025 – Bochum begegnet den Folgen des Klimawandels mit datenbasierter Stadtentwicklung.
[Read more] Interdisciplinary geographic information sciences, GI-News
05. September 2025 – Didaktik goes international
Gleich zweimal hieß es Ende August und Anfang September: Welcome to the team of geography didactics of the Ruhr University - und zwar in der Hauptstadt Dänemarks sowie in der drittgrößten Stadt Schwedens.
[Read more] GI-News
04.09.2025 – Group retreat and kick-off academic year - Urban Ecology and Biodiversity lab
To start off the new academic year, we went on a two-day retreat in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia. On the programme were reflections and discussions as well as our new research and funding strategy, and, of course, we visited some interesting places – such as an area of a species endemic to NRW!
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News, Standard
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