Geospatial Data and Models for Decision Making

Welcome to Geospatial Data and Models for Decision Making

Description: Optimal and efficient Land use and Sea use planning require developing spatial decision support systems in which various geographical, attribute, and quantitative datasets can be integrated and overlaid. Doing so will enable relevant decision-makers and stakeholders to contribute to the decision-making process while being able to trace the entire process and interactively visualize the outcomes of different scenarios.
This PhD course aims to introduce students to various methodologies for designing and implementing spatial decision support systems for land use planning and maritime spatial planning while considering climate change and its future effects on nature, society, and land and marine ecosystems. The course will include hands-on examples brought forward by participants and will provide an overview of existing decision support systems, discussing relevant evaluation criteria, decision alternatives, and the uncertainties associated with them.

Prerequisites: The ability and passion to address societal challenges using decision support systems in a data-driven manner.

Learning objectives: Comprehend the theoretical foundations and essential components of spatial decision support systems (SDSS) for land and sea use planning. Identify, assess, and integrate geospatial and non-spatial datasets relevant to decision-making processes. Apply spatial analysis techniques and utilize multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to evaluate planning alternatives and prioritize actions. Investigate the use of AI and GeoAI methods in spatial modelling and decision-support contexts. Critically evaluate the role of SDSS in their own research and apply course concepts to a case study.

Organizer: Jamal Jokar Arsanjani, jja@plan.aau.dk

Lecturers: Jamal Jokar Arsanjani, Irma kvladze, Ida Maria Bonnevie

ECTS: 3

Date: 12-13 May 2026

Place: Aalborg University

City: Copenhagen

Maximal number of participants: 20

Open for enrolment: 18 January 2026

Deadline for enrolment: 21 April 2026

Important information concerning PhD courses:  There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.

We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.

You may find more information in our FAQ: https://phd.moodle.aau.dk/local/page/faq 

For inquiries not described in the FAQ, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk. When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.