Philippe Rufin

Dr. Philippe Rufin is a Research Fellow at the Earth & Life Institute of Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium, and holds an affiliation with the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. His research focuses on linking Land System Science with Earth Observation techniques, particularly through machine learning applications for large-area land use mapping in Sub-Saharan Africa. He currently leads projects such as SEN4MOZ (funded by ESA EO Africa) and EOAgriTwin (part of the ESA Digital Twin Earth initiative), aiming to enhance sustainable agriculture and environmental monitoring.

Education: Ph.D. in Geography (2019) from Earth Observation News, focusing on remote sensing and land use dynamics. Postdoctoral work includes roles at Humboldt-Universität (2019-2021) and UCLouvain (2021-present).

Research Interests: Earth Observation technologies, machine learning for geospatial analysis, field delineation in smallholder landscapes, medium-scale farm dynamics, and the integration of remote sensing for sustainable development goals. Key projects include mapping cropland dynamics in Mozambique and developing frameworks for responsible AI in EO.

Grants & Projects: F.R.S.-FNRS Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023-2026), ESA EO Africa R&D grants (SEN4MOZ, EOAgriTwin), and contributions to UN SDG2 initiatives. His work emphasizes open science and collaboration between African and European institutions.

Labs/Teams: Core member of the UCLouvain Earth Observation Lab and the Humboldt-Universität Earth Observation team. Active in the EO Africa R&D Facility consortium for capacity-building and joint research.