Alumnus testimonial
Alumnus Jorn Dallinga - Geo- Information Science
Jorn started the MSc Geo-Information Science after completing Tropical Forestry at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciencs. Now he works at WWF in the Netherlands.
The MGI program offered a diverse range of courses to choose from. This allowed me to sign up for courses of my interest, while keeping close links to the environment and the application in nature conservation.
After my study in Tropical Forestry at Van Hall Larenstein in Velp, I decided to continue my educational career at Wageningen University.
I started the 2-year master program Geo-Information Science, believing that it would greatly add to my knowledge and passion in nature conservation. And I wasn’t wrong! The MGI program offered a diverse range of courses to choose from. This allowed me to sign up for courses of my interest, while keeping close links to the environment and the application in nature conservation.
However, I became intrigued by the technical world of GIS and Remote Sensing. Therefore, I expanded my course portfolio to include programming courses (Python and R) and (geo)statistical courses, which at the start of the MGI program, I didn’t think I would enjoy. Now I can say that I learned most from these practical programming courses, working in groups with backgrounds in different fields. The fieldwork and excursions only contributed more to exchanging knowledge and learning
how to work in multi-disciplinary teams. Additionally, I developed communication and presentation skills by being a student assistant at the
course Geo-Information tools.
I did my internship at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Zeist, the Netherlands. Here I checked the accuracy of forest cover maps produced for various WWF priority regions. I wrote scripts to develop easy to replicate methods for accuracy assessments. After the internship, I started working for WWF as an advisor on spatial information and Remote Sensing. Here I combine my knowledge I gained during my bachelor in Tropical forestry and the MGI program!
My job is highly diverse. I am working with setting up the monitoring of programs which use satellite imagery or other spatial products. I get to travel to our WWF offices in tropical countries, presenting WWF programs, giving workshops in how to use spatial information, the use of geo-tools and the importance of a spatial data infrastructure. Our work in nature conservation depend on multi-stakeholder approaches and multi-disciplinary teams. This means I get to work with all kinds of people, from governmental agencies, local NGO’s, to local communities in the Amazon. It never gets boring!
I am very happy that I followed the master Geo-Information Science. The MGI program prepared me well for my job, where I get a chance to contribute to conserving and protecting our green planet from the sky!