Session summary
This GeoField 2026 working session looks ahead to a new online learning effort designed to bring geospatial evidence, Earth observation, and geospatial AI closer to development decision-making. Rather than presenting a research paper or use case, the session invites participants to help shape a practical course for policy makers, funders, practitioners, and technical teams.
Moderator: Claire Zanuso
Geospatial AI and Development Learning Initiative
Christoph Aubrecht, Laurent Durieux, and Claire Zanuso discuss early plans for a massive open online course focused on geospatial AI and development. The proposed course would help decision-makers understand how geospatial tools can support smarter targeting, better monitoring, and more rigorous evaluation, while connecting learners to deeper technical resources such as the GeoField textbook, use case libraries, communities of practice, and other training materials.
The discussion emphasizes that the course should be modular, accessible, and grounded in concrete development use cases. Participants suggest short videos, sector-specific learning pathways, practical checklists, field stories, expert testimonials, webinars, and AI-supported navigation through course content. A recurring theme is the need to serve multiple audiences: concise, high-level material for senior decision-makers, and more detailed practical guidance for advisors, analysts, and technical staff.
The session also situates the course within broader institutional efforts by the European Space Agency, Data Terra, and Agence Française de Développement to support the adoption of Earth observation in development cooperation. Speakers emphasize that strong geospatial use cases often fail to scale unless institutions understand their value, build capacity, and know what kinds of teams, data, and partnerships are needed to use them well.
The session closes with a plan to begin with a small set of short use case videos focused on the “why” and “how” of geospatial evidence for development. GeoField participants and partner institutions are invited to contribute examples, feedback, and dissemination support as the learning initiative evolves.