On 15 May 2026, the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was honored to welcome Prof. Xiaoxiang Zhu from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), who visited at the invitation of Prof. Qihao Weng, Director of the JC STEM Lab of Earth Observations and the Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Geomatics (RCAIG). During her visit, Prof. Zhu delivered a seminar titled “AI for Earth Observation: From Petabytes to Actionable Insights,” which attracted more than 70 participants.
In the seminar, Prof. Zhu discussed how artificial intelligence is reshaping Earth observation by transforming massive volumes of satellite data into actionable insights. She highlighted the growing importance of geoinformation derived from Earth observation satellite data in addressing major societal challenges, including urbanization, climate change, and sustainable development. She also discussed how recent advances in artificial intelligence and foundation models are opening new opportunities for large-scale geoinformation retrieval and Earth system understanding.
Following Prof. Zhu’s presentation, faculty members, research staff, and students from LSGI and RCAIG raised many insightful questions, leading to a lively academic exchange with Prof. Zhu. After the seminar, Prof. Weng introduced Prof. Zhu to the RCAIG facilities and shared the centre’s latest research initiatives.
The visit served as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, strengthening the academic ties between the Chair of Data Science in Earth Observation at TUM and the LSGI & RCAIG at PolyU. By bringing together leading experts and aspiring researchers, the event highlighted the critical role of interdisciplinary innovation in shaping the future of geomatics and environmental sustainability.
In the seminar, Prof. Zhu discussed how artificial intelligence is reshaping Earth observation by transforming massive volumes of satellite data into actionable insights. She highlighted the growing importance of geoinformation derived from Earth observation satellite data in addressing major societal challenges, including urbanization, climate change, and sustainable development. She also discussed how recent advances in artificial intelligence and foundation models are opening new opportunities for large-scale geoinformation retrieval and Earth system understanding.
Following Prof. Zhu’s presentation, faculty members, research staff, and students from LSGI and RCAIG raised many insightful questions, leading to a lively academic exchange with Prof. Zhu. After the seminar, Prof. Weng introduced Prof. Zhu to the RCAIG facilities and shared the centre’s latest research initiatives.
The visit served as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, strengthening the academic ties between the Chair of Data Science in Earth Observation at TUM and the LSGI & RCAIG at PolyU. By bringing together leading experts and aspiring researchers, the event highlighted the critical role of interdisciplinary innovation in shaping the future of geomatics and environmental sustainability.
