Dimitris Kavroudakis

Dynamic Spatial Microsimulation Modelling of Education in UK

Supervisors: Dr Dimitris Ballas and Dr Mark Birkin

Bsc Computer Information Systems C.I.S. (2000) American College of Greece
Bsc Geography (2004) University of the Aegean
MSc Geographical Information Systems (2005) University of Leeds

Interests: Computational Geography, Social Simulation, Computational Algorithms, AI in Geography, GIS-Software Engineering.

This PhD is a White Rose studentship and belonging to the White Rose network "Sustainable Communities: People, Places and Prosperity". In the context of this research, Microsimulation techniques are used to simulate populations in a dynamic environment and explore educational inequalities structures.

Using Panel and Census data, both static and dynamic models are made in order to understand, explore and illustrate inequalities of education. The output will be a complete software which can be used by any social scientist, decision maker or planner locally or by www integration. Current selection and fitting Microsimulation methods will be improved with emphasis in simplicity, speed and error minimization. After validation process, multiple future projections will be made for estimation and prediction. It is well known that microsimulation can be used in a variety of policy making activities, as a way to simulate a population with rich information about any object (schools, households, individuals) then implement virtual policies in a specific geographical area, and explore/discuss the resulting interactions and reactions of micro-units.

This research will:

• use Java as the main programming language
• use UML as the main modelling language
• use Panel and Census data
• use only free and open source software (Linux, GNU, GRASS etc)

CV

• BSc Computer Information Systems C.I.S. (2000) American College of Greece
• BSc Geography (2004) University of the Aegean
• MSc Geographical Information Systems (2005) University of Leeds

Teaching

• GEO152: Statistical Data Analysis in Geography
• GEO207: Economic Geography
• GEO103: Region, Nation and World

Conference Papers

• Kavroudakis, D. (2006). Dynamic Spatial Microsimulation, Mid-Term Conference and AGM of the Royal Geographic Society with IBS, Newcastle, United Kingdom (theme: Geographical Information Systems), March 2006
• Kavroudakis, D., Ballas D. , Birkin, M (2006). Spatial microsimulation modelling for public policy analysis, 36th annual conference of Regional Science Association International: British and Irish Section, Jersey, Channel Islands, (theme: Social and Public Policy )16 August - 18 August 2006
• Kavroudakis, D., Ballas D. , Birkin, M (2006). Building an object-oriented spatial microsimulation model for public policy analysis, 46th congress of the European Regional Science Association, Volos, Greece (theme: Geographical Information Systems and Spatial Analysis), 30 August – 3 September 2006

Poster Presentation

• Kavroudakis, D., Ballas D. (2006). Microsimulation: Simulating Societies, Department for Work & Pensions Mobile Poster event, 18 May 2006, Sheffield, UK

Member

• European Social Simulation Association
• European Regional Science
• European Geography Association
• Royal Geographic Society
• Greek Geography Union
• Free Software Foundation

Contact Details

Address: University of Sheffield, Department of Geography, Winter Street, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 7973
Fax: +44 (0)114 279 7912
Email: D.Kavroudakis@Sheffield.ac.uk