About Me
Expertise Scientist and educator with 20 years of experience in research, education, project management and capacity building
Focus Remote sensing and geoinformation science to enable insights into hydrological and water quality processes and the translation of spatiotemporal data into information suitable to address global and societal challenges
Outputs Science: 82 publications in peer-reviewed journals, books, conference proceedings and professional publications. Five PhD theses graduations,
6 external PhD examinations and 11 supervisions of visiting scientists.
Academic education: 19 courses, 55 MSc graduations, 4 years programme director of the master programme M-GEO, Chair of the Programme Committee
Capacity development: 40 training events (140 days of training), empowered 574 participants from 70 Majority World’s countries
Projects: 22 project acquisitions with over two million euros of net profits
Languages Arabic (mother tongue), English and Dutch (proficient), French (basics)
Expertise
Organisations
Research
I have scholarly expertise in remote sensing, water quality, hydrology and spatiotemporal modelling.
The research stretches from measuring the water on a microscale (spectroscopic lab/field measurements) to investigating mesoscale land-water-atmosphere interactions.
The excitement of my work builds on a highly multidisciplinary approach to research, teaching and academic leadership, especially the focus on integrating multi-observation techniques with physical modelling and data-driven analysis across multiple variables and scales.
I use the science of remote sensing, geoinformation and hydrology to investigate a variety of variables that interrelates the Earth’s systems of hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere.
Publications
UT Research Information System
Google Scholar Link
Education
Optical remote sensing for the estimation of marine bio-geophysical quantities
Department of Civil Engineering, Hydraulics Laboratory, KU-Leuven, Belgium, 17/11/2003
Supervisors (‘Promotors’): Jaak Monbaliu and Pol Coppin
Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, (1999)
Monitoring of water quality in coastal waters (Magna Cum Laude)
Department of Civil Engineering, Hydraulics Laboratory, KU-Leuven, Belgium, 16/09/1999
Supervisors: Jaak Monbaliu and Pol Coppin
Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering (1993)
Major: Engineering management and structure. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Damascus University, Syria, 21/09/1993
- Senior University Teaching Qualification: University of Twente, 2019.
Undertake scholarly research in higher education. Researched the importance of introducing entrepreneurial skills in geospatial education
- Academic Leadership: University of Twente, 2014
- University Teaching Qualification: University of Twente, 2012
Gain the pedagogical competencies required for teaching at a university level
- Supervising PhD. Candidates: University of Twente, 2012
- Quality Assurance and Course Evaluation: University of Twente, 2012
- Policy of Education and Course Coordination: University of Twente, 2012
- Testing and Assessment: University of Twente, 2012
Affiliated Study Programmes
Master
Other
Courses Academic Year 2023/2024
Courses Academic Year 2022/2023
Projects
22 acquired projects with a net benefit of more than 2 million euros as summarised hereafter.
Project type | Nr. | Net benefit in Euro | % Net benefit | Funding organizations |
---|---|---|---|---|
Research | 10 | 725,000 | 35% | European Space Agency, Netherlands Space Office, Netherlands Research Council |
Education | 6 | 925,000 | 45% | European Space Agency, NUFFIC, Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs |
Science valorization | 5 | 400,000 | 20% | Private companies, governmental agencies |
Contact Details
Visiting Address
University of Twente
Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation
Langezijds
(building no. 19), room 1127
Hallenweg 8
7522NH Enschede
The Netherlands
Mailing Address
University of Twente
Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation
Langezijds
1127
P.O. Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands