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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
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
01. September 2025 – Innovatives Lehrformat erfolgreich: Studierende präsentieren ESG-Indikatorik für Gewerbegebiete auf den Transformation Talks 3.0
[Read more] GI-News
01. September 2025 – Damit Du Dich auf dem Campus sicher fühlst: Begleitschutz 24/7
[Read more] GI-News, Studinews
25. August 2025 – Bochumer Kartographie auf der ICC in Vancouver
[Read more] Cartography, GI-News
14. August 2025 – ‘Design the Future, Together’ – Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary dialogue on urban transformation processes and their governance in the Ruhr region as part of an international comparative study of metropolitan areas
[Read more] International Urban and metropolitan Studies, GI-News
11. Juli 2025 – Nature Conservation in Practice: Master’s Students Explore Protected Areas in the Northern Ruhr Region
As part of an elective module about career options in the ecological field, students enrolled in our ‘Urban and Landscape Ecology’ Master's programme were given a guided tour of several protected areas.
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News, Standard, Studinews
08. Juli 2025 – Spannende Experimente und nützliche Infos zum Studium: Das Geographische Institut gibt Einblicke bei Inside RUB
[Read more] GI-News
07.07.2025 – Results of the Stakeholder Workshop "Urban Green Spaces Between Ecological Restoration, Wilderness and Industrial Heritage"
A strategy paper summarizes the key challenges in designing urban green spaces that were discussed in the workshop and makes recommendations for their biodiversity-promoting development.
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News, Standard
03. Juli 2025 – Institutskolloquium zur Governance von Transformationsprozessen
[Read more] GI-News
25. Juni 2025 – Fakultätweites DoktorandInnenkolloquium
[Read more] GI-News
23.06.2025 – Students Visit Grassland Project in the City of Essen
Valentin Klaus and his Master's course visited a grassland restoration area on a cemetery in the city of Essen. The volunteers of the local environmental NGO presented their project for the ecological enhancement of urban green spaces and introduced the students to the biodiversity of the meadows.
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News, Standard
20. Juni 2025 – Sustainable agriculture in West Africa: RUB participates in international research dialogue in Accra, Ghana
[Read more] Urban Remote Sensing, GI-News
18. Juni 2025 – Industrienatur-Exkursion der AG Stadtökologie und Biodiversität mit Ellen De Vrieze
During another visit by the guest researcher, team members from the working group visited various locations in the Ruhr region.
[Read more] Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, GI-News, Standard
17. Juni 2025 – Wo die Lichtverschmutzung herkommt
Neue Veröffentlichung von Team Nachtlichter
[Read more] GI-News