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Focus Area 4: Geopolitics & The Global Economy

The turbulence of the current times has dramatically transformed the world’s economic and political geographies. The scale and scope of such changes require urgent attention. Important topics in this arena relate to: globalization and its impact on peoples and places; economic inequalities across geographic scales and borders; terrorism and power; the development of the knowledge-based economy; and […]

Focus Area 3: Places, Networks, & Flows

Geographers conceive of networks and flows between places as a foundational spatial concept. Geographic information systems (GIS) are the main analytical tools employed in determining relations between individuals, settlements, modes of transport, and infrastructures like power grids, and communication networks. The concepts can also be applied to disease contagion, healthcare service delivery, crime activities, river […]

UF signs a memorandum of understanding with the OECD to reinforce research in the West African Sahel

GAINESVILLE, FL – On March 4th, 2021, the University of Florida signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to encourage research on social and political changes in the West African Sahel. Signed on behalf of the UF Center for African Studies, the new agreement will reinforce ties […]

New NSF grant to study how Covid affects international research networks

Dr. Olivier Walther and collaborators Dr. Greg Kiker (UF ABE) and Dr. Erica Odera (UF ABE) have received a new grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impact of Covid on international research networks. Using multi-criteria decision analysis and social network analysis, we hypothesize that international research teams can be designed to be […]

Meet the Geographer: Dr. Olivier Walther

Dr. Olivier Walther Assistant Professor of Geography Affiliate Faculty, Center for African Studies Affiliate Faculty, UF Center for Global Islamic Studies Founder and Coordinator, African Networks Lab Faculty Member, Sahel Research Group University of Florida Focus Areas GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Sustainability & Global Environmental Change Research Statement: My research focuses on trade and political […]

GEO6938 GEO4938 Terrorism and Space

GEO6938 GEO4938 Terrorism and Space The aim of this course is to study international terrorism and its spatial implications. The course examines how a spatial approach can contribute to better understand the onset and diffusion of terrorist organizations across the world. Terrorism and Space puts a strong emphasis on spatial analysis and geographically-referenced data to […]

GEO3502 Economic Geography

GEO3502 Economic Geography The world is becoming increasingly connected. Yet, the benefits of globalization have not been shared equally across the regions. What makes regions competitive? Why are some cities more innovative than others? How do borders affect human flows and ideas? The aim of this course is to study the causes and consequences of […]

Geography Colloquium: The Geography of Conflict in North and West Africa

Speaker: Dr. Olivier Walther Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 30, 2020 3:50-4:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. African governments are increasingly confronted with new forms of political violence. This study maps the evolution of violence across North and West Africa. […]