HES-GEO project aims to enhance existing research capacity and stimulate scientific excellence in the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management (IGSM), Jagiellonian University, in studying human-environmental systems (HES) of the Anthropocene, along variety of urban-rural-marginal gradients, at various spatial and temporal scales and using tools and data available through Earth observation (EO) and geospatial technologies. HES-GEO will build on existing strengths of IGSM and opportunities provided by new regulations of science and higher education in Poland, combining them with the vast expertise in studying HES and in capacity building of three excellent partner institutions: Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Katholieke Unversiteit Leuven.

To reach the HES-GEO main goal, three groups of activities will be carried out:

[1] training young post-doctoral and early stage researchers in academic soft skills (scientific writing, project development and leadership) and in geospatial and EO technologies;

[2] setting up research teams (RTs) led by young scientists of IGSM and supervised by experienced scientists from partner institutions, providing them guidance towards development and submission of competitive research proposals to European research programmes, and

[3] establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in IGSM, composed of the RTs and a new project / knowledge management and outreach unit.

Building on trained young researchers developing new research ideas in the RTs, the CoE will gather the experiences of HES-GEO, and employ them beyond the project lifetime, ensuring sustainability and appropriate exploitation of project results. The three major activities of the project will be supported by diverse dissemination and communication measures, in order to increase HES-GEO overall visibility and establish research- and stakeholder-oriented networks, supporting sustainability of the future actions of the CoE.