PROGRAMME: Environmental Modelling and Management (2012-2014)
One of my favourite quotations is from Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” I believe that for me the future is here and now, as coming to the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) is a dream come true! I cannot think of, or even imagine, a better place than ITC.
My experience at itc
I wish to thank the ITC staff for their efficiency and effectiveness – right from the time I submitted my application to the confirmation of my admission and scholarship and the subsequent preparations (including visa, residence permit, flight ticket and bank account). And thanks to the ITC Notebook Programme, I now own one of the best laptops! I have also enjoyed the state-of-the-art facilities at ITC, including the lecture rooms, the ITC restaurant, computer labs, and the virtual blackboard with access to all the lecture materials and individual grades. I will miss the free coffee during the morning and afternoon coffee-breaks!
The Faculty are also well qualified in their respective fields and I have benefitted a lot from their immense experience and years of research and teaching. I have also met friends from different countries, continents and cultures, and have established personal and professional connections. I am grateful to my sponsor, the European Commission, for awarding me the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship to follow the MSc degree course Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management (GEM).
What is unique about itc
What makes studies at ITC unique is the incorporation of case studies and fieldwork in almost all the modules to provide hands-on experience of the theoretical knowledge acquired during the lectures and exercises. The GEM course has equipped me with the technical knowledge and skills necessary to work as a scientist in geo-information science and earth observation and has prepared me for a future career as a natural resource management information specialist. I am now able to work with various software packages, such as GIS, ERDAS, ENVI, SPSS and Excel.
I have enjoyed my stay at the ITC International Hotel, especially the self-service laundry, the well-furnished self-contained rooms with TV and freezer, the 24/7 internet connection, and the common kitchen with the latest fireless induction cooking technology.
My future plans
As a GEM student, I will leave ITC after my first year and go to the University of Warsaw in Poland for my second year of research work and thesis writing. Here I will specialize in EU Policy and the Environment. I will really miss ITC and, after successfully completing my MSc studies, I hope to come back for my PhD studies or to join the field of international development and work with UN agencies, including the World Bank, and other international development organizations, such as the African Development Bank. Thus, I strongly recommend the GEM programme and ITC to those who want to study in an academically stimulating environment.