Abu Dhabi-UAE: 21 April, 2015 – The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced that the UAE Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS), hosted at the Institute, has won the bid to host the Joint Urban Remote Sensing Event (JURSE) in 2017 in Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said, “Winning the bid to host the JUSRE 2017 demonstrates Masdar Institute’s internationally-recognized expertise in the field of remote sensing, which is a credit to the vision and the support of the UAE leadership. With the recent opening of the UAE IEEE GRSS Chapter, the UAE’s research activities in geoscience and remote sensing will continue to advance and bring accolades to the country.”
The biannual international Joint Urban Remote Sensing Event (JURSE) is a forum where a select group of researchers, practitioners, and students discuss the latest findings and results in the urban remote sensing field. The event aims to introduce innovative methodologies and technological resources recently employed to investigate the urban environment through satellite and airborne remote sensing data.
Hosting of the prestigious international conference is awarded only to institutions that have active remote sensing research programs. Masdar Institute’s Earth-Observation and Hydro-Climatology Lab (EOHCL) and the UAE Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment (ReCREMA) have already published work on urban heat island studies using remote sensing. In addition, Masdar Institute is also involved in the development of advanced methods for remote sensing data analysis. These technically advanced studies have provide a foundation for Masdar Institute to bring the event to Abu Dhabi.
“In our bid we highlighted the importance of hosting the event in the Middle East, which has seen a tremendous urban growth in the last decade. We also highlighted the growing number of research groups working on remote sensing in the region. The support of Abu Dhabi Educational Council and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority proved crucial in winning the bid,” said Dr. Prashanth Marpu, Chair of the IEEE GRSS UAE Chapter, and Assistant Professor, Water and Environmental Engineering, Masdar Institute.
In the past, Masdar Institute had an active presence in annual IGARSS conference, the premier remote sensing event organized by the IEEE GRSS, which is also the co-sponsor of JURSE.
Masdar Institute faculty members who are pursuing relevant geoscience and remote sensing research at its EOHCL include Dr. Taha Ouarda, Professor and Head of the Institute Center for Water and Environment (iWater); Dr. Hosni Ghedira, Professor of Practice and Director of the UAE Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment (ReCREMA); Associate Professor Dr. Marouane Temimi; Assistant Professor Dr. Annalisa Molini and Assistant Professor Dr. Marpu.
