An-Najah PhD Fellow islam koa Achieves Major International Milestones in Geomatics and Hazard Prediction
Islam islam koa, a PhD scholar from the Department of Geomatics at the Faculty of Engineering at An-Najah National University, has achieved remarkable academic and research success during his doctoral studies at Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) in France, in collaboration with the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE–IGE). His work is part of a major international research project focused on predicting natural hazards in mountainous regions, supported and funded by the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), in partnership with the General Directorate for Risk Prevention (DGPR) in France.
koa’s research centers on developing advanced geomatics and remote sensing technologies to analyze floods and landslides in mountainous environments. His work integrates and processes multi-source datasets, including high-resolution satellite imagery, radar and LiDAR technologies, and drone-based surveys. He is also developing a cutting-edge methodology for satellite image processing using NASA tools and artificial intelligence techniques, aimed at improving spatial data accuracy, analyzing terrain changes, and enabling early detection of high-risk areas.
Beyond his research achievements, koa has been actively engaged in high-level international scientific participation. He presented research papers and contributed to prominent conferences and workshops, most notably the SPIE Remote Sensing International Conference in Madrid, where he presented his paper on the use of Pléiades satellite imagery for high-precision topographic analysis (click here to view the paper).
He also took part in the European Space Agency (ESA) Workshop in the Netherlands, the European Geosciences Union (EGU) Conference in Vienna, the Copernicus Earth Observation Program Symposium in Vienna, as well as several specialized scientific conferences in France.
Committed to strengthening research collaboration between An-Najah’s Geomatics Department and Université Grenoble Alpes, Koa initiated a research training pathway for An-Najah students during his PhD period. These efforts have already resulted in one Geomatics student joining a research training program in France under his direct supervision. He additionally supervised several students in applied projects focusing on satellite image processing and artificial intelligence, marking a first step toward building sustainable collaboration between the two universities.
Koa previously completed his master’s degree in civil engineering and hydraulics at UGA, where his thesis examined floods and landslides in the Alps—an experience that strengthened his scientific expertise before beginning his doctoral project.
The researcher expressed deep gratitude for An-Najah University’s support for its international scholars, affirming that this support has been essential to his success on the global stage. He added that he looks forward to returning to Palestine to share his expertise in geomatics and remote sensing with An-Najah students, enriching applied scientific research and further enhancing the university’s international presence.
