Tag Archives: 3d gis

WHEN STUDENTS RUN OUT OF ANSWERS

WHEN STUDENTS RUN OUT OF ANSWERS

This week, two of my students somehow managed to survive our progress meeting without being able to answer all their supervisor’s questions.

First came the awkward smiles. Then hiding their faces behind books. Then consulting AI for help. And when everything else failed, the ultimate survival strategy: innocent faces!

Eventually, I sent them to the sofa to do some reading and find the answers. But in the end, both requested to postpone their progress updates until next week. Nice try!

Well, that is pretty much how I run my supervision sessions. We can joke around, laugh, and have fun, but when it comes to research and learning, we still need to take things seriously.

This time, Luckin Coffee again! 😂 My treat for all the students who attended. Luckily, Wiliyan was there to help carry all 10 cups of coffee.

Supervision does not always have to be serious. A little laughter and good coffee can make the learning journey more enjoyable.

But next week, those two had better come prepared!

#PostgraduateLife #ResearchSupervision #AcademicLife #LearningJourney #CoffeeAndResearch

HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT THIS INVITATION?

HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT THIS INVITATION?

Sometimes, interesting opportunities arrive when you are already wondering how to manage everything on your plate.

This time, I received an invitation to serve as both a Committee Member and Keynote Speaker at CIVILMEET 2027, the 9th International Conference on Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, scheduled for 21-23 June 2027 in Barcelona, Spain. 🇪🇸

Not just a committee member, but a keynote speaker as well. That part made me read the email twice.

The conference brings together researchers, academics and industry professionals to exchange ideas on civil engineering, environmental sciences and emerging technologies.

Although much of my research revolves around 3D city modelling, GIS, GeoAI and urban digital twins, these areas are increasingly connected to civil engineering, environmental sustainability and intelligent urban development. So, it is interesting to see how our research contributions are being recognised beyond our immediate field.

But then comes the usual reality of academic life. Undergraduate teaching, postgraduate supervision, research projects, journal publications, administrative responsibilities and many other commitments.

Still need to think carefully before accepting another responsibility.

Nevertheless, receiving an invitation like this is already a meaningful recognition. It is encouraging to know that the research we have been doing over the years is reaching people and institutions beyond our own academic community.

Thank you to the CIVILMEET 2027 organising committee for considering me for these roles.

Whether I eventually accept or not, I appreciate the invitation and the confidence placed in my academic contributions.

Now, the real question is whether my calendar can accommodate Barcelona in June 2027. 😅

#KeynoteSpeaker #CIVILMEET2027 #AcademicJourney #GeospatialResearch #InternationalCollaboration

DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE MY NAME HERE

DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE MY NAME HERE

Received this invitation today and had to read it twice.

UTM appreciation for its staff is at another level! This year, UTM management make a new moves, organizing a new dedicated and personalized event called Majlis Kecemerlangan Akademia (MKA) UTM 2026.

Apparently, I have been selected for an award at the MKA UTM 2026, which will be held on 30 October 2026 at Dewan Sultan Iskandar, UTM.

To be honest, I do not know yet which award category this is for. But just being selected at university level already feels like a meaningful recognition of the work done throughout 2025.

Academic work is usually quite routine from the inside. Teaching, supervising students, writing papers, applying for grants, reviewing manuscripts, attending meetings, and handling administrative tasks. Most of the time, we just move from one responsibility to another without really stopping to think about it.

So when something like this arrives, it is a nice reminder that perhaps all those small efforts do add up somewhere along the way.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey, especially my students, colleagues, collaborators, and the research team.

Now we wait for 30 October. Whatever the outcome, I am already grateful to be among it. 😊

#MKAUTM2026 #AcademicJourney #ResearchAchievement #UTM #GratefulMoment

WHEN STUDENT TAKES THE INITIATIVE

WHEN STUDENT TAKES THE INITIATIVE

Always nice to see a PhD student not only follow the research plan, but also take the initiative to push the work further.

Congratulations to our PhD student, Jiao Yang, on the publication of his new paper in the ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, a Web of Science Q2 journal.

What I appreciate about this paper is that the decision to aim for a WoS journal came from his own initiative. That is something encouraging to see. When students begin setting their own targets and taking ownership of their research, it shows that they are gradually developing into independent researchers.

The paper, titled “From R-Trees to Learned Indexes: A Systematic Review of Spatial Indexing Across 2D, 3D and Point-Cloud Geospatial Query Scenarios,” reviews 111 studies and examines how spatial indexing has evolved from traditional structures such as R-trees, octrees and KD-trees towards learned and hybrid indexing approaches.

One of the interesting findings is that learned indexes are growing rapidly, particularly for 2D applications, but traditional and hybrid structures are still very important for native 3D geospatial data, point clouds and update-intensive spatial workloads. The paper also highlights what still needs to be solved before learned indexing can be effectively applied to complex 3D geospatial environments.

A good contribution to an area that sits right at the foundation of efficient spatial data management.

Good job, Jiao. Keep taking the initiative and keep pushing your research further. 👍🏻

📖 Read the paper here:

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi15100452

#NewPublication #SpatialIndexing #3DGIS #GeospatialResearch #PhDJourney

WHEN YOUR RESEARCH INTERESTS FIND A NEW HOME

WHEN YOUR RESEARCH INTERESTS FIND A NEW HOME

Another small milestone in the academic journey.

I have been appointed as an Editorial Board Member for Revue Internationale de Géomatique, an international journal published by Tech Science Press and indexed in Web of Science.

What makes this appointment meaningful to me is how closely the journal aligns with the areas I have been working on for years, including 3D city modelling, GeoAI, spatial data structures, topology, BIM-GIS interoperability, UAV and LiDAR data, and urban digital twins.

The journal also publishes articles in both English and French, giving it a wider international reach within the geomatics and geospatial research community.

Editorial work is another side of academia that often happens quietly. It involves reading, evaluating, discussing, and helping ensure that good research is communicated clearly and contributes something meaningful to the field.

I see this appointment less as a title and more as another responsibility to contribute back to the research community that has shaped much of my own academic journey.

Thank you to the editorial team for the trust and invitation. Looking forward to supporting the journal and learning from the research that comes through it.

#EditorialBoard #GeospatialScience #Geomatics #AcademicService #ResearchCommunity

SOMETIMES, THE RESEARCH JOURNEY HAS ITS OWN TIMELINE

SOMETIMES, THE RESEARCH JOURNEY HAS ITS OWN TIMELINE

I actually read this thesis much earlier this year in preparation for my role as the External Examiner for a Master candidate at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

The viva date was already fixed earlier this year. Everything seemed ready.

Then, about a week before the viva, the student, Tharshini, came down with dengue and the viva voce examination had to be postponed.

We tried to arrange another date, but somehow it took longer than expected. We waited, and waited again. At one point, I started wondering what had happened.

Later, when I checked with USM, I learned that her father had recently passed away.

At that point, the delay became completely understandable. Research is important, but sometimes life gives us something much bigger to deal with. Emotionally, she probably needed time to recover before facing an important academic examination.

So we waited again.

Until today.

Finally, Tharshini completed her viva for the thesis titled “Integrated Geospatial and Finite Element Modelling of Rainfall Induced Landslides with WebGIS-Based Risk Visualisation: A Case Study of Penang Island, Malaysia”.

The research integrates geospatial analysis, finite element modelling and WebGIS to better understand rainfall-induced landslide risks and communicate those risks through an interactive spatial platform.

And the good news, she passed with minor corrections. 🎓

Congratulations Tharshini. Considering everything that happened along the way, completing this viva is an achievement that carries a little more meaning.

This experience also reminded me of something.

We can plan our research schedule, submission, viva, graduation and everything else. But we never really know what life will bring tomorrow.

So, to those who are still studying, especially postgraduate students, try not to procrastinate too much. When you have the opportunity to move your research forward, do it.

Finish what you can, while you can.

#VivaVoce #PostgraduateJourney #GeospatialResearch #LandslideRisk #AcademicLife

WHEN COLLABORATION COMES FULL CIRCLE

WHEN COLLABORATION COMES FULL CIRCLE

Another invitation landed in the inbox, this time from Türkiye.

I have been appointed as a Technical Program Committee (TPC) Reviewer for the Smart City for Applications 2026 International Conference (SCA 2026), which will be held inTürkiye, from 13 to 16 October 2026.

This one feels a little closer to home because we have previously worked with colleagues from Karabuk University through our research and publications. Nice to see that collaboration now extending into academic service as well.

As a TPC reviewer, the responsibility is to evaluate submitted papers, provide constructive feedback, and help the committee select research that contributes meaningfully to the conference. Reviewing may happen quietly behind the scenes, but it remains an important part of maintaining academic quality.

With smart cities increasingly bringing together AI, geospatial technologies, digital twins, urban analytics and intelligent systems, I am looking forward to seeing what researchers are working on for SCA 2026.

Thank you to the organising committee for the invitation and confidence. Another small opportunity to contribute back to the research community.

#SCA2026 #SmartCities #AcademicService #GeospatialResearch #InternationalCollaboration

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED BY SPRINGER NATURE

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED BY SPRINGER NATURE

Another small milestone to close this week on a good note.

Happy to share that our edited book, “Earth Geosciences, Geophysics and Geotechnical Engineering”, has officially been published by Springer Nature.

I had the opportunity to serve as one of the editors together with Zeynal Abiddin Erguler, Vinita Vishwakarma, Eduardo L. Krüger, and Sharul Sham Dol.

The book brings together multidisciplinary works related to earth geosciences, geophysics, geotechnical engineering, geospatial analysis, remote sensing, environmental studies, sustainable infrastructure and urban intelligence.

Always nice to see months of coordination, reviewing, editing and communication finally turn into a published book on the Springer platform. 📖

Thank you to all the editors, authors and everyone involved in making this publication possible. Alhamdulillah for another contribution to the academic bookshelf. 🤲🏻

📘 Earth Geosciences, Geophysics and Geotechnical Engineering
🏛️ Springer Nature
📅 2026
🔗 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-26038-3

#SpringerNature #AcademicPublishing #Geosciences #Geospatial #Research

🎉 SO PROUD OF YOU DAMIA! 🎉

🎉 SO PROUD OF YOU DAMIA! 🎉

This week has been quite a journey for Damia. She went through so many things, faced different challenges, and had moments that were certainly not easy. But despite everything, she managed to stay strong, keep going, and successfully present her MPhil proposal. 🌷✨

Sometimes, a milestone is not just about the presentation itself, but about everything you had to overcome just to get there. And Damia did it. 💪🏻❤️

I’m also very grateful that throughout this journey, Damia has been surrounded by so many supportive friends who have encouraged her, stayed by her side, and lifted her spirits when she needed it most. Having a strong support system truly makes a difference. 🫶🏻

Damia, you should be proud of yourself. You went through a lot this week, but you still showed up and made it through. 🌟

Now, take the feedback, keep moving forward, and trust the journey.

Well done Damia! One important milestone completed. 🌸📚✨

#ProudSupervisor #MPhilJourney #ResearchMilestone #KeepGoing #ProudMoment #YTJT

ROUND TWO: DAMIA IN THE HOT SEAT

ROUND TWO: DAMIA IN THE HOT SEAT 🔥

Today was Damia’s turn for a presentation prep session. She’s presenting her MPhil proposal this week. Last week it was Melati, this week it’s Damia. Funny how it happened back-to-back and in order too 😂

This week, we repeated the session again with Bask Bear for breakfast in the lab ☕🥪

So this time, Melati finally got to grill Damia after getting grilled by her last week 🤣

But honestly, these “grilling sessions” are actually so valuable. We challenge each other, spot things we might have missed, and learn so much in the process. Tough love, but worth it. 💪📚