ESA HUNEDU

The aim of the ESA-HUNEDU EO Curriculum Development Project was to develop a modern, internationally competitive Earth Observation (EO) curriculum and training structure. The development process began with an assessment of currently successful Earth Observation training programmes. As part of this process, the project coordinator conducted several in-depth interviews with leading experts and key stakeholders in the field.

This was followed by a Gap Analysis, focusing on the competencies currently covered within the Hungarian higher education system. The subsequent development process was supported by two international Train-the-Trainer workshops, during which leading European and overseas experts presented the latest methods and technologies in Earth Observation. The topics covered by the workshops included Google Earth Engine, Python-based EO processing, deep learning, time-series analysis, the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, as well as hyperspectral and SAR-based remote sensing.

Building on these foundations, the three-semester curriculum covers a broad range of topics, from the fundamentals of remote sensing, geographic information science, geostatistics and cloud-based data analysis to machine learning, deep learning and specialised Earth Observation applications. The programme places particular emphasis on developing practical skills and addressing real-world challenges related to the environment, agriculture, forestry, urban areas and climate adaptation.

The resulting training structure integrates the latest technological trends and international best practices, thereby contributing to the development of educational and research capacities in the field of Earth Observation in Hungary.

Project Coordinator:
DATelite Kft. (https://www.datelite.hu/)

Project partners:
Obuda University The Institute of Geoinformatics
University of Sopron