Imagine a week where your passion for geospatial science meets real-world impact, surrounded by peers, experts, and cutting-edge ideas? That's what the GEM Joint Event 2025 delivered for students at the Faculty ITC of the University of Twente.
From June 16-20, 2025, this yearly career development event brought together 13 young students from the Erasmus+ MSc in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management (GEM) with policymakers, experts from knowledge institutes, and businesses from both geospatial and non-geospatial sectors. The mission of these professionals is to help students explore their industry of interest and launch them into their careers.
Hands-on learning
During the 5 days of the event, GEM students actively engaged through workshops, speed-dating sessions, field visits, and hands-on activities like flying drones for GEO monitoring.
This year’s highlight was the visit to Herenboeren Usseler Es, a community-based farm where they learned about sustainable farming practices and collected Colorado beetles. Thanks to perfect weather conditions, they deployed UAVs to map potato fields, showcasing how remote sensing and drone technology contribute to precision agriculture.
The day wasn't all serious science, as students also captured unique "dronies" (drone selfies) of their team in both the visual and thermal spectrum.
Connections with industry leaders
One of the event's strongest features is its connection to industry. This year, students heard from professionals at organizations like Rabobank, Deltares, and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. They learned about innovative projects such as Rabobank's ACORN project supporting smallholder farmers in sustainable agroforestry, and Deltares' ULTFARMS project expanding low-trophic aquaculture within European offshore wind farms.
Students also discovered how OpenStreetMap is expanding in Senegal through community-driven geospatial data collection, enhancing climate resilience and supporting local economic activities.
Beyond skills: building confidence and networks
By the end, the five-day program covered everything from science communication and professional profile building to internship opportunities and job interview techniques, as well as other skills such as design engineering principles, practicing idea validation, and discovering how to valorize their research for real-world applications.
Networking opportunities were also perceived as really valuable; from "Space meets Twente" professional networking, to dinners with fellow students across different year groups, participants built connections beyond the Joint event. “It was exciting to see the passion and creativity driving these initiatives, and I’m looking forward to staying connected and seeing how these projects continue to grow and make an impact,” mentioned Miren Parkinson (post), a student from this year’s GEM cohort.
|
|
As a GEM student, Collins Hlordzie mentioned, “This event was not just about skills. It was about gaining experience, developing an attitude, and networking. From brainstorming with international peers to getting expert feedback, I have gained clarity on my career path” (post).
The event culminated with a certificate of completion, and now students will continue their GEM journey with a realistic view of their industry of interest and concrete steps for moving forward in their professional journey. “I’m leaving this event inspired, more confident in my career direction, and proud to be part of the GEM community,” said GEM student Janathi Wathsala (post).
More information
To learn more about the Erasmus+ MSc in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management, visit the GEM website.
