The origins of GIScience in Switzerland with Rob Weibel

Robert Weibel, Professor of Geographic Information Science at the University of Zurich, retired at the end of January 2025 after a distinguished career spanning over three decades. In an interview, Rob reflects on the remarkable evolution of Geographic Information Science, from its early days to its current status as a widely accepted scientific sub-discipline of geography.
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Published

March 27, 2025

Robert Weibel, UZH professor for Geographic Information Science, (semi-)retired this year. On this occasion, the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich1 did an interview with Rob.

Robert Weibel (source: UZH)

Robert Weibel (source: UZH)

It’s a very interesting look at 30+ years of GI Systems and GI Science: From a lot of initial skepticism to the search for an epistemological foundation for GIS and eventually broad acceptance as a scientific sub-discipline of geography. And also from scarce beginnings to essentially freely available location technology, smartphone apps and an age of seeming abundance of geospatial data – and ethical questions regarding its responsible use.

From the interview:

You mentioned teaching – you have guided many students over the years. What has been most important to you?

I wanted to give the students an insight into what goes on in the “real world”. I took them to GIS companies and to the relevant offices in the cantonal and federal administration. Of course, we also gave many examples in the lectures and exercises. But the immediacy of being ‘in the field’ is simply different – just like in other geographical sub-disciplines, when glaciologists take students to glaciers or human geographers visit international organisations.

The interest was always mutual. The companies wanted to present their internships, and the students got a first-hand impression of what awaits them in professional life – and that they are welcome in the industry. I like to see where our GIS graduates are today. It gives me the feeling that I have made a significant impact.

Definitely in my life.

Footnotes

  1. Apparently, the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich was the first institute in continental europe to have a chair dedicated to GIS – already in 1981.↩︎