By Karim Ali, Lab Instructor, Department of Geography, Université Côte d’Azur
I teach Automation and Data Integration in the Geography department at Université Côte d’Azur. What brought FME into the course was a professional need: automating GIS workflows for urban planning work.
Changing how students think about GIS
The biggest change I see is not simply in what students can do, but in how they think. They move from toolbox to workflow.
Students often arrive thinking of GIS as a collection of individual tools, each used to complete a separate task. Working with FME helps them see how those tasks connect within a larger process that can be automated and repeated. This shift changes how they approach GIS and helps them carry those skills into their future careers.
Why FME for GIS automation
In my experience, FME is the best tool for automating GIS workflows. Of the ETL tools I have worked with, I find that it offers the most complete GIS toolbox. This combination makes it particularly relevant for students preparing to apply GIS automation to urban planning work.
“I help future spatial planning professionals think about the life cycle of their data, from creation to archiving, while automating data processing. FME fits perfectly with this approach to data quality and process automation.”
Advice for other instructors
For instructors considering the FME Grant Program, my advice is straightforward: FME is a great tool.
