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Keynote: Geomatics and Quality of Life
Speaker: Dr. Casper Fibæk
Earth Observation Applications Specialist
European Space Agency
Dr. Casper Fibæk is an Earth Observation Applications Specialist at the European Space Agency (ESA), based in Frascati, Italy. With over a decade of experience in geospatial data science, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development, he leads ESA’s regional initiatives including CopPhil and the ASEAN-wide SCOPE Digital program, advancing the use of Copernicus data for climate resilience and disaster impact analysis. His work bridges science diplomacy and policy implementation across Southeast Asia through partnerships with PhilSA, BRIN, GISTDA, and ASEAN bodies.
Previously with ESA Φ-lab, he led the development of Sentinel-2 foundation models and served as principal investigator for UNICEF-Giga’s global school-mapping collaboration. Casper holds an Industrial PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Earth Observation from Aalborg University and NIRAS Oxford, and continues to publish and lecture internationally on EO and AI applications for sustainable development.
Plenary Talk 1: People at the Margins of Quality of Life
Dr. Arturo Martinez Jr.
Statistician, Statistics and Data Innovation Unit
Asian Development Bank
Dr. Arturo Martinez Jr. is a Statistician at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he leads data innovation and statistical capacity-building initiatives across Asia and the Pacific. His work advances the use of big data, satellite imagery, and machine learning to improve the compilation and analysis of poverty, inequality, and social statistics.
He has authored and co-authored several of ADB’s Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific publications and pioneering studies on poverty mapping and data integration using artificial intelligence. Prior to joining ADB, he was a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research. Dr. Martinez holds a PhD in Social Statistics from The University of Queensland and both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Statistics from the University of the Philippines Diliman
Plenary Talk 2: Policies Enabling Quality of Life
Dr. Sheryl Rose Reyes
Remote Sensing Expert, Space Applications Section
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Dr. Sheryl Rose Reyes is a Remote Sensing Expert at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), where she contributes to the development of SatGPT, an AI-enabled spatial decision support system for flood mapping and impact assessment across the Asia–Pacific region. Her work spans disaster risk reduction, land-use change dynamics, natural resources management, ecosystem services, and sustainability.
She holds a PhD in Sustainability Science from the United Nations University in Tokyo, and an MSc in Remote Sensing and BSc in Geodetic Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Dr. Reyes previously served as President of the ISPRS Student Consortium (2016–2022) and remains committed to advancing the use of Earth observation, geospatial technologies, and AI for evidence-based decision-making and inclusive environmental action.
Plenary Talk 3: Planetary Health and Quality of Life
Dr. Alvin Christopher Galang Varquez
Associate Professor
Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo
Dr. Alvin Christopher Galang Varquez is an Associate Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, specializing in boundary-layer meteorology, global urban climatology, and high-resolution weather modeling of urban areas. His research focuses on the interactions between urbanization and atmospheric processes, including the effects of anthropogenic heat, surface morphology, and land-use change on local and global climate systems.
He has developed several global urban climate datasets and models, such as the Global Anthropogenic Heat Flux Database and high-resolution urban growth and climate projection models, published in Nature Partner Journal Climate and Atmospheric Science, Scientific Data, and Urban Climate. A recipient of multiple awards from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers and Tokyo Tech’s Best Engineering Teacher Award, Dr. Varquez earned his Doctor of Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology, where he also completed his master’s degree, following his undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at De La Salle University–Manila.
Plenary Talk 4: Places that Shape Quality of Life
Dr. Filip Biljecki
Assistant Professor
Department of Architecture and Department of Real Estate, National University of Singapore
Dr. Filip Biljecki is an urban data scientist and faculty member at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he serves as Assistant Professor and Presidential Young Professor. Jointly appointed at the Department of Architecture (College of Design and Engineering) and the Department of Real Estate (NUS Business School), he leads the NUS Urban Analytics Lab, a vibrant research group dedicated to advancing data-driven, AI-powered approaches for understanding and improving cities.
His research spans urban informatics, 3D GIS, digital twins, and the use of emerging urban data such as street-level imagery for studying the built environment. Dr. Biljecki has published more than 170 peer-reviewed papers and has received numerous distinctions, including the NUS College Educator Award, Urban Informatics Paper of the Year, and the Presidential Young Professorship. He holds a PhD (with highest honours, top 5%) and MSc in Geomatics from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Beyond academia, he contributes to global research and professional communities through leadership roles in ISPRS and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).
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