Assistant Professor Artificial Intelligence for accessible and responsible geo-information
The University of Twente, Faculty ITC wishes to increase the number of women in the faculty in order to have a more balanced staff profile. During all phases of the selection process, we will therefore prioritize selecting women who fit the profile.
Geospatial Artificial Intelligence – or GeoAI – is becoming increasingly applied in fields such as urban planning, sustainable land use, disaster risk management, ecosystem monitoring, and understanding and predicting climate change. GeoAI can be a powerful and accessible tool to address environmental and societal problems. Yet applications of GeoAI are often criticised for being complex “black boxes” and augmenting social inequalities. Responsible GeoAI addresses this challenge by integrating principles such as privacy, accountability, safety & security, explainability, inclusivity, human control, and professional responsibility. The latter includes open and reproducible research and methods as well as critical evaluations of technological systems.
Responsible AI is still underrepresented in GeoAI. This vacancy strives to address this gap by integrating Responsible AI practices into geosciences. Research themes may include: helping establish Responsible AI guidelines for GeoAI; developing Responsible AI methods for GeoAI; developing hybrid models that combine AI models and physical models; reflecting when AI is needed and how to efficiently communicate modelled results to end-users. This vacancy will also strive to integrate responsible AI thinking in and for geo-education. The above principles and themes should be used as a guiding framework, though the position is not encouraged to address all of them.
ITC is already working on GeoAI practices for a wide range of applications. All these applications can benefit from integrating Responsible AI practices in their data processing methods. The successful applicant will select the theme(s) of Responsible GeoAI which resonate most with their experience and collaborate closely with colleagues in various departments of the faculty to develop them further.
You will develop a research direction and educational profile aligned with the ambitions of ITC, the University of Twente, and the Dutch Earth and Environmental Sciences sector. You will contribute to our MSc programmes, co-supervise graduate students (MSc and PhD) and work with our E-Learning specialists to develop innovative online educational materials.
You will take ownership of coordination and management tasks as well as take an active approach towards strengthening our national and international network, in particular in the wider Earth and Environmental Sciences domain in the Netherlands.
Information and application
For more information, you can contact Dr Caroline Gevaert (e-mail: c.gevaert@utwente.nl) or Prof Andy Nelson (a.nelson@utwente.nl). You are also invited to visit our homepage.
1st round (online) interviews will be held on 23 and/or 24 October 2023; 2nd round (onsite) interviews will be held on 2 and/or 3 November 2023.
Please submit your application before 30 September 2023. Your application has to include (i) a letter outlining your motivation and fit for the position, and (ii) a CV with two references.
About the department
The mission of the department of Earth Observation Science (EOS) is to gain and disseminate scientific knowledge in earth observation. This knowledge is applied in the development of tools to help good governance and wise and sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries and emerging economies.
The department of Earth Observation Science deals with earth observation technology for problem-solving. Problem solving means primarily identification of solutions for large-volume producers of geo-information and identification of solutions for application domains.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) provides international postgraduate education, research and project services in the field of geo-information science and earth observation. Our mission is capacity development, where we apply, share and facilitate the effective use of geo-information and earth observation knowledge and tools for tackling global wicked problems. Our purpose is to enable our many partners around the world to track and trace the impact – and the shifting causes and frontiers – of today’s global challenges. Our vision is of a world in which researchers, educators, and students collaborate across disciplinary and geographic divides with governmental and non-governmental organisations, institutes, businesses, and local populations to surmount today’s complex global challenges and to contribute to sustainable, fair, and digital societies.
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