Course Description
This course is an introduction to QGIS; it is a crash course for regular, “non-technical” people who are interested in using maps in their professional life but don’t know where to start: Exploring data is already a key competence for a wide range of positions ranging from politics to energy, journalism to humanitarian work. There is a wealth of geo-spatial data available (think how often Google maps is used) and this trend will only increase, yet very few people know how to engage with these information. Mapping data to make complex ideas and schemes understandable in a matter of seconds is the next step to increase the impact and reach of complex ideas. This course is the basic training you need to understand the fundamental concepts of mapping and become autonomous and confident in using maps in a professional setting. The training is advertized and conducted under the umbrella of the academy for humanitarian action (aha).
You will learn…
- what types of data are used in a map and where to find them;
- how to import, view and manipulate geospatial data in QGIS;
- which simple styling techniques are available to highlight key data on a basic map;
- how to export data to excel and import your own data to QGIS;
- how to create a custom map with standard features and export a finalized map to .png and .pdf.
Time and Location
The course will take place online on 19, 20, 22, and 23 May 2025 from 3pm to 5pm CET each day. A detailed schedule can be found on the course page.
Target Group
Staff of humanitarian NGOs with several years of professional experience.
Participants must have working laptops that run either Windows, Mac or Linux. Google Chromebooks will not run QGIS.
Trainer
The training will be led by Danielle Kitchingman-Roy. Danielle has eight years of experience in the humanitarian and development sector and works across a number of fields. She teaches QGIS to humanitarian professionals seeking to build new skills alongside conducting training on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) at the French Development Agency. She also conducts final evaluations for a variety of clients in numerous countries through primary data collection, in-person and remote learning workshops and technical support including the creation of infographics to summarize and display key information that target a wide audience.
How to Apply:
You can find a detailed schedule and the registration form here: https://aha-trainings.de/courses/introduction-to-mapping-with-qgis2025. For questions, remarks or concerns, please consult aha-anmeldungen[at]akademie.ruhr-uni-bochum.de.
