معرفی
Quoc-Hy Dao serves as a Full Professor and Vice-Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences at the University of Geneva, where he leads research in geospatial technologies and environmental governance. He also heads the Metadata and Socioeconomics Unit at GRID-Geneva (United Nations Environment Programme), demonstrating his significant international impact. His academic journey includes a postgraduate degree from the International Institute for Aerospace Surveys and Earth Sciences (ITC, Netherlands) and a PhD in human geography from the University of Geneva.
Professor Dao's research spans critical environmental domains with three primary axes: Planetary Boundaries breakdown at the territorial scale, Territorial cohesion through indicator development, and Environmental risks via spatial and quantitative modeling. His work integrates Geographic Information Systems, cartographic semiology, risk assessment, population mapping, and sustainable territorial development. He has pioneered applications of Big Data and geospatial technologies in environmental monitoring, particularly through the TRACES project addressing Sustainable Development Goals 13, 14, and 15.
His publication record reveals a consistent focus on planetary boundaries frameworks, environmental risk modeling, and geospatial data infrastructure. Recent work shows increasing emphasis on semantic enrichment of Earth Observation data, flood risk assessment using innovative platforms like Google Earth Engine, and climate vulnerability analysis in urban settings. His research bridges technical geospatial innovations with practical environmental governance applications.
As an educator, Professor Dao teaches core courses including Cartography, Geographic Information, Remote Sensing, and Spatial Analysis in Geography. He also co-directs advanced programs such as the Master of Advanced Studies in Urban Planning and the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Geographic Information in Urban Planning.
He actively mentors doctoral students across diverse topics including geospatial technologies in illegal gold mining monitoring, ecosystem services policy analysis in West Africa, and smart city development in Rwanda. His leadership extends to directing the Complementary Certificate in Geomatics and representing the University of Geneva at the Geneva Territorial Information System.
Professor Dao leads significant research projects including TRACES (2021-2025, Swiss National Science Foundation) on semantic environmental trajectories of territories, and CATI-GE Geoportal for territorial analysis of inequalities in Geneva. His work connects academic research with practical environmental governance applications through his dual roles at the University of Geneva and UNEP/GRID-Geneva.
