École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
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PhD in Measurement and Modeling of Urban Verticality in Africa École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Full-time 100% PhD position for 48 months at EPFL Lausanne, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation through the VERTICAF project. The post includes fieldwork assignments; no stipend amount is stated.
Country
Switzerland
University
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
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About this position
PhD opportunity at EPFL Lausanne: Measurement and modeling of urban verticality in Africa.
This full-time PhD position is part of the Vertical Africa: Visualizing Urban Change, Negotiating Power, Designing Sustainable Cities (VERTICAF) project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and hosted at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). The project is co-led by Professors Didier Péclard and Armelle Choplin (University of Geneva) and Jérôme Chenal (EPFL), in partnership with the Universities of Dakar, Kigali, and Luanda.
The research focuses on urban studies, geography, remote sensing, GIS, photogrammetry, and data science, with a strong emphasis on African cities and sustainable urban development. The PhD will investigate how urban verticalization can be measured, mapped, and quantified in data-scarce contexts at the city, neighborhood, and building scales. Fieldwork and comparative analysis will cover Dakar, Kigali, and Luanda.
Key tasks include building a harmonized database of urban verticality since 2000, developing a data-processing pipeline to extract building heights over time, integrating geolocated crowdsourced images with satellite data, and compiling detailed building profiles for selected buildings in each city.
Applicants should hold a master’s degree or equivalent in geomatics, geography, data science, environmental engineering, quantitative urban planning, or a related field. Required skills include remote sensing, satellite image processing, GIS, photogrammetry, Python or R for geospatial analysis, and familiarity with open-source tools such as QGIS, GRASS GIS, and GDAL. Strong English writing skills are required; French is required, and Portuguese, Wolof, or Kinyarwanda are advantageous.
The position is 100% for 48 months and is based at EPFL Lausanne with fieldwork assignments. The selection process includes multiple stages, and shortlisted candidates will later need to apply to an EPFL Doctoral Program (EDAR or EDCE) to qualify for the PhD.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To apply, submit a cover letter, CV, master’s transcript, a recent academic paper demonstrating spatial analysis skills, and contact details for two academic references via the online application portal. Email applications are not accepted.
Funding details
Full-time 100% PhD position for 48 months at EPFL Lausanne, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation through the VERTICAF project. The post includes fieldwork assignments; no stipend amount is stated.
What's required
Master’s degree or equivalent in geomatics, geography, data science, environmental engineering, quantitative urban planning, or a related field. Strong interest in African cities and sustainable urban development is required. Applicants should have proficiency in remote sensing, satellite image processing, GIS, photogrammetry, and geospatial programming in Python or R; experience with Google Earth Engine is a plus. Experience with QGIS, GRASS GIS, GDAL, and spatial databases is expected. Excellent English writing skills are required, French is required, and Portuguese, Wolof, or Kinyarwanda are assets. Candidates should be scientifically rigorous, autonomous, able to work in interdisciplinary and multicultural settings, and sensitive to gender equity and North-South research dynamics.
How to apply
Prepare a cover letter, CV, master’s transcript, a recent academic paper demonstrating spatial analysis skills, and contact details for two academic references. Submit the application through the online portal only; email applications will not be considered. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
More information can be found here
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