SESAC

SESAC Open Session 2 - Lunch Seminar on Earth Observation, Wellbeing & Welfare
2026-04-29 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Stockholm)
Beyond the pixels and the code, SESAC is about people. Our ‘SESAC Open Sessions’ is a monthly online gathering designed to bridge the gap between satellite-enabled research and societal impact.
Each 60-minute session features a lightning presentation (15-20 min) from the SESAC team or guest experts, followed by an open-floor discussion. These webinars are a collaborative space to brainstorm ideas, discuss new datasets, and explore how Earth Observation can address the specific challenges faced by your organization or community. Whether you are a researcher, a policymaker, a curious student, your perspective is part of the solution.
SESAC Open Session 2 – Lunch Seminar on Earth Observation, Well-being & Welfare
Welcome to the second session in the SESAC Open Series, hosted by the Swedish Competence Centre for Satellite Enabled Social Science Analytics (SESAC). This one-hour online event invites you to explore how satellite data and advanced analytics can contribute to our understanding of wellbeing and welfare.
The session brings together leading researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of social science and geospatial data:
John Östh, Ola Hall, and Alexandros Sopasakis will open the session with insights on wellbeing, exploring how spatial and analytical approaches, along with tools like the Human Development Index (HDI) and Earth observation, can deepen our understanding of quality of life.
Alvaro von Borries will follow with a presentation on wellbeing in relation to register data, highlighting how large-scale datasets can be used to study social conditions.
Finally, Florian Sallaba, CEO of Green Urbansights, will provide a practitioner’s perspective on applying satellite data in real-world contexts related to urban environments.
This open session is designed for students, researchers, professionals, and anyone interested in innovative uses of satellite data within social science. Join us to listen, learn, and engage with experts from academia and industry.
There will be time to ask questions, live during the session, or in advance if you’d prefer to send something ahead of time. We’ll do our best to make sure your voice is heard, no matter how you choose to participate.
A few things to know about the session:

The event is online and open to all, whether you’re a researcher, practitioner, or simply curious.
We plan to record the session to share the discussion more widely.
Before we start recording, we’ll explain why we’re doing it and ask for your verbal confirmation that you’re comfortable being included. This is in line with GDPR, your participation is always on your own terms.
If you prefer not to be recorded, you’re very welcome to join with your camera off, use a nickname, and simply listen in.
The recording will be uploaded to our website and YouTube channel so others can benefit from the conversation.

We want this to be a welcoming space, for questions, ideas. Come with your lunch, your curiosity, or just your presence. Please share in your networks if you think this event would interest them.
When: Wednesday, 29th of April, 12-13 CET.
Where: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/397452930794609?p=hpbOrcF0CmU43VEPpP
Meeting-ID: 397 452 930 794 609
Password: [REDACTED]

See our website for continuous updates: https://sesac.se/events/
Warmly
SESAC Team

SESAC Open Sessions #1
2026-03-27 12:00 - 13:00
Beyond the pixels and the code, SESAC is about people. Our ‘SESAC Open Sessions’ is a monthly online gathering designed to bridge the gap between satellite-enabled research and societal impact.
Each 60-minute session features lightning presentation(s) from the SESAC team or guest experts, followed by an open-floor discussion. These webinars are a collaborative space to brainstorm ideas, discuss new datasets, and explore how Earth Observation can address the specific challenges faced by your organization or community. Whether you are a researcher, a policymaker, a curious student, your perspective is part of the solution.
SESAC Open Session 1 – Lunch Seminar on Social Science, Earth Observation & Global Impact
In this lunch seminar, which is open to everyone, we will explore how Earth Observation can support social science research, especially in data-poor and complex settings.
This is a space for curiosity, connection, and conversation. The session will begin with a brief introduction from Dr. Ola Hall, head of SESAC, followed by short reflections from:

Dr. Lina Eklund (Lund University) on using satellite data to study land use in conflict-affected regions.
Dr. Stefanos Georganos (Karlstad University) on combining AI and remote sensing to support sustainable development.

We will also be joined by Jesper Sundewall, who recently stepped into a new role as Head of Research Relations at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). He will share insights from his work in international research-practice collaborations and how initiatives like SESAC can help bridge science and real-world impact.
There will be time to ask questions, live during the session, or in advance if you would prefer to send something ahead of time. We will do our best to make sure your voice is heard, no matter how you choose to participate.
A few things about the session:

The event is online and open to all, whether you are a researcher, practitioner, or simply curious.
We plan to record the session to share the discussion more widely.
Before we start recording, we will explain why we are doing it and ask for your verbal confirmation that you are comfortable being included. This is in line with GDPR, your participation is always on your own terms.
If you prefer not to be recorded, you are very welcome to join with your camera off, use a nickname, and simply listen in.
The recording will be uploaded to our website and YouTube channel so others can benefit from the conversation.

We want this to be a welcoming space for questions and ideas. Come with your lunch, your curiosity, or just your presence.
When: Friday, 27th of March, 12-13 CET
Where: Microsoft Teams (https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33968426871245?p=GDmAFHJIYvs6v8O3gb) Meeting ID: 339 684 268 712 45 Password: [REDACTED]
Check our website for continuous updates.
Warmly
SESAC Team

Inauguration of The Swedish Competence Centre for Satellite-Enabled Social Science Analytics
2026-03-05 12:30 - 16:30 | Biskopsgatan 1, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
[Invite only]
This event marks an important milestone for SESAC and an opportunity to bring together existing partners as well
as organizations and individuals we have identified as potential collaborators, users, and innovators. You are
invited because of your experience, perspective, and potential role in shaping how Earth observation (EO) can be
used to address societal challenges.
We hope you will join us for an afternoon of conversation, reflection, and forward-looking discussion on future
directions, collaboration opportunities, and shared priorities. The centre’s mission is to strengthen national capacity
in Earth observation through research, education, and the development of open, reusable workflows and analytical
tools. By making EO-based methods more accessible, we aim to support researchers, students, policymakers, and
practitioners in applying satellite data to real-world questions.
In close collaboration with public agencies, industry, and civil-society actors, the centre will develop applied use
cases that demonstrate how EO data can improve decision-making in areas such as sustainability, public health,
inclusive growth, and crisis preparedness. This co-creative approach ensures that methods, tools, and applications
are both scientifically robust and socially relevant. Our consortium formalizes long-standing collaborations across
universities and disciplines, while also opening new interfaces for innovation and engagement beyond academia.
The inauguration is therefore not only a celebration, but a starting point for new partnerships, experimentation, and
continued development of Sweden’s Earth observation ecosystem.
12:30–13:00 Doors open
13:00–13:30 Introduction by Ola Hall, SESAC, Agnes Anderson, Dean of the Social Science faculty at LU, Iris Lee Thomson & Ernesto Gutierres, the Swedish National Space Agency
13:30–13:50 Keynote 1: Dr Trevor Maynard; Vice Chair and Director of Systemic Risk at the Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies
13:50–14:20 Panel discussion
14:20-15:00 Mingling and opportunity to become affiliated with the center
15:00-15:30 Keynote 2: Dr Alex de Sherbinin; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia Climate School, Columbia University
15:30–16:00 Panel discussion
16:00-16.30 Closing

Earth Observation and Human rights in conflicts and disasters
2026-02-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Lund University, Sweden
The Human Rights Profile Area and Lund Earth Observation group invite you to an interactive seminar with The Decentralized Damage Mapping Group (DDMG) to discuss how Earth Observation can be used to study or monitor human rights in conflicts and disasters. We will hear a presentation from DDMG and thereafter have a round-table discussion to exchange perspectives, to better understand each other’s research and to find common ground on the theme of human rights, conflict and disasters.

Are you looking for complementary skills and expertise for a research proposal?
Do you want to broaden your network of people with similar interests across fields?
Are you searching for new collaborations and interdisciplinary angles to widen your research?
Then join us for an interdisciplinary, collaborative space to explore common interests and to build connections across fields!

Date: 16 February 2026
Time: 13:15–15:00 (including fika)
Location: SOL H435, Centre for Languages and Literature, Helgonabacken 12, Lund
Register here by 9/2/2026 at the latest: Registration form

About the The Decentralized Damage Mapping Group (DDMG):
The Decentralized Damage Mapping Group (DDMG) is an international collaborative initiative focused on leveraging Earth Observation (EO) datasets to develop innovative solutions for damage assessment in conflict and disaster-affected regions. The group was established in 2023 to address the lack of timely data on damage to cities, farms, and forests caused by war, especially in protracted or under-reported conflicts. Since 2023, this international collective of academics and civil society organizations has advanced the use of satellite analysis to document the humanitarian and environmental consequences of damage from wars and natural hazard-induced disasters. Their work has included assessments of damage to agricultural land, built-up areas, forests, water infrastructure and solid waste management in conflict zones, including Palestine (with a focus on Gaza), Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria.
We are looking forward to seeing you!
The Human Rights Profile Area and The Lund Earth Observation group
