Applications are now closed
Due to the high volume of registrations, applications for the GIS workshop 2024 have now closed.
Date: Tuesday 7 May – Thursday 23 May
Time: 15:00 – 18:00 British Standard Time (BST)
The Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School (LBS) is offering a virtual online workshop on GIS methods for quantitative spatial data analysis.
This workshop aims to equip students with modern research methods used for analysing spatial data. It will focus on applications related to the study of economic development, but the tools covered will be applicable in many contexts. The workshop will provide an overview of geospatial data and work through case studies that demonstrate the use of Python for spatial data analysis and QGIS for spatial data visualization. Participants can expect to gain familiarity with various open-source software used in spatial data analysis:
- Anaconda (Python and Jupyter)
- QGIS
- Google Earth Engine
There will be six 3-hour main lectures (with a small break) commencing on Tuesday 7 May 2024, spread over three weeks, on Tuesday and Thursday from 15:00 – 18:00 BST.
This year’s workshop is supported by the Sui Foundation, an independent organisation committed to help future generations of developers and business leaders leverage the power of blockchain and decentralised computing.
Audience
We are seeking doctoral students, early career academics, and generally any researchers with an interest in quantitative spatial data analysis. The online workshop is also well-suited for professionals in both public and private organisations..
Cost/registration
This is an open access workshop. However, due to capacity constraints only a select set of participants will be able to attend. Participants will be screened for fit using a screening test. A pre-screening test will be available upon registration and must be completed to be considered eligible for the workshop. All lectures and sessions will take place on Zoom. Participants will be selected on a first come first served basis, so all interested to participate need to register as soon as possible.
Workshop convening team
- Giorgio Chiovelli, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Montevideo
- Sebastian Hohmann, Economist and Data Scientist
- Tanner Regan, Assistant Professor of Economics and International Affairs, George Washington University
Acknowledgement
A letter of acknowledgement may be awarded for participation and sufficient performance.
Requirements to receive a letter recognizing active participation:
- Attendance at all six workshop lectures
- Satisfactory submission of workshop project
- Satisfactory score on multiple choice quiz
Pre-requisites
Some experience with quantitative data analysis and coding is strongly recommended.
Alternatively, a dedication to learn about these topics is required as the material will progress quickly in difficulty from the second week onwards. For those without much experience, we strongly suggest reviewing some fundamentals of quantitative analysis at these free resources:
Technical capacity (essential requirements)
Internet connection to download (1 GB) of data and software and follow the Zoom (video) sessions. We strive to make this workshop as accessible as possible, unfortunately there is a minimum technical capacity required to participate. We acknowledge and regret that this may make the course inaccessible for some. We hope to continually improve the accessibility in the future.
Workshop material
The main workshop material (slides, exercises, data, and code) will be hosted through google drive.
Dates and times
The workshop will run from Tuesday 7 May to Thursday 23 May. All six lectures are delivered via Zoom, between 15:00 – 18:00 BST. To encourage engagement and active participation, the sessions will not be recorded.
Please note, there is an expectation if you register you will attend all six sessions.
Workshop schedule
| Session 1 | Tuesday 7 May | Introduction to GIS and overview applications in research – Setting up Google Colab |
| Session 2 | Thursday 9 May | Introduction to Python, Pandas, and Geopandas |
| Session 3 | Tuesday 14 May | Replicate analysis of a research paper – GIS Basics |
| Session 4 | Thursday 16 May | Replicate analysis of a research paper – Networks |
| Session 5 | Tuesday 21 May | Introduction to QGIS, geocoding, making maps, georeferencing and digitizing |
| Session 6 | Thursday 23 May | Introduction to Google Earth Engine and workshop revision |
Logistics
Workshop programme manager
- Nicola Hare
Outreach and Communications Executive of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development - Oliver Jakes
Outreach and Communications Manager of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development
Teaching assistants
- Bihter Erbaş
Pre-Doctoral Research Assistant at the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development - Daniel Sey
Pre-Doctoral Research Assistant at the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development - Mike Nuno
Pre-Doctoral Research Assistant at the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development
Contact
To learn more about the workshop, please email us at wibdresearch@london.edu.
About the Wheeler Institute
The Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School was created to research and amplify the role of business in tackling the hardest challenges in social and economic development. A primary objective of the Wheeler Institute is to stimulate and support research at the intersection of business and development, with a particular emphasis on research in the developing world.
About the Sui Foundation
The Sui Foundation is a pioneering blockchain, responsible for a wide range of technical and economic innovations that will help future generations of developers and business leaders to leverage the power of decentralised computing. Together, Sui and the Wheeler Institutewill collaborate to find new ways to support research, forge communities of practice, and shape business education. Sui has made a $1 million contribution to the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development to support our mission in new and exciting ways. This donation is a part of London Business School’s ambitious and transformational £200 million fundraising campaign, Forever Forward.
Narcisse TALLA TANKAM
Souleymane Ba
Matthew AGBA
Nicola Hare