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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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News from the institute

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Current news from the Institute of Geography
09. April 2026 – Online Webinar /Workshop on quantitative soil mineral analysis in soil Monitoring Date: Friday, 17th April Time: 10:00 - 12:00 CET/9-11 BST
Is soil texture enough? Do we need mineralogical data to understand carbon dynamics in soils of temperate regions?
[Read more] Soil science, GI-News
09. April 2026 – Paper on nighttime lights published in Nature
Study investigates changes in global lighting using satellite data at full spatial and temporal resolution for the first time.
[Read more] Nighttime Lights Remote Sensing, GI-News
23. März 2026 – Invitation to the “Shape2gether” Share Event on May 6, 2026 – Try out VR worlds and games focused on climate change and sustainability!
In the ERASMUS+ project “Shape2gether,” more than 20 academics and 35 students are collaborating toward the common goal of developing innovative teaching methods to better communicate important topics such as climate change and sustainability.
[Read more] GI-News, Studinews
13. Januar 2026 – New project on connectivity of urban habitats for mammals
Funding from Interreg NWE is enabling the Urban Ecology and Biodiversity Group to research measures to improve the connectivity of urban habitats.
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News
12. Januar 2026 – Winterly excursion to ecological highlights in North Rhine-Westphalia
Excursion meets winter: Master's students learn about restoration ecology in the snow
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News