Joshua Pretorius, an MSc candidate specialising in Geoinformatics at the University of Pretoria, recently attended the ISPRS Geospatial Week (GSW) 2025, held from 6–11 April in Dubai, UAE. Hosted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in collaboration with the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).  The event was organised to showcase the latest advancements in remote sensing and photogrammetry under the theme “Remote sensing and Photogrammetry for a better tomorrow”.

During the five-day conference. Joshua and his supervisor Dr Shelley Haupt presented their research poster titled, “Exploring the Potential of Remote Sensing to Detect Marine Plastics in the South African Ocean Region” supervised by Dr Bolelang Sibolla and Dr Shelley Haupt. The presentation of this research saw experts from around the world sharing their opinions on the project and other directions to explore allowing for these valuable insights to be carried into Joshua’s further research.

Reflecting on his experience, Joshua stated, "Participating in GSW 2025 was incredible. It significantly broadened what I previously understood the field of remote sensing to be, and what can be done with these technologies. Being able to see what cutting-edge research is being done around the world, across several industries, truly opened my eyes to the capabilities of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and has sparked an even greater passion to pursue innovative solutions and research within the geospatial sciences for local applications.”

Joshua’s conference participation was funded by the National Earth Observation and Space Secretariat, https://neoss.co.za/