The final edition of the capacity building Geoscience Information For Teachers (GIFT) workshop was held this year in Cape Town, South Africa. This three-year programme, an initiative by the EGU Education Committee, brought together local teachers and scientists to build a sustainable, long-term workshop series and network for teacher training in geoscience education. The 2024 theme was “Exploring ...[Read More]
Higher Education Resource: Project Design for Research and Community Projects
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) supports bringing science into the classroom at all learning levels, from schools to universities. Since the Higher Education Teaching grant programme launched in 2020, EGU has funded 24 projects to develop useful and freely available geoscience resources to university educators. This blog is part of a series of blogs highlighting the innovative and accessible ...[Read More]
EGU’s Pride: Insights into our EDI’s committee’s initiatives
The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is dedicated to promoting a vision of equality, diversity, and inclusion through an integrated, coordinated, and constructive approach. Their mission includes raising awareness of EDI values within the scientific community, organizing sessions and meetings focused on EDI issues, representing EGU in relev ...[Read More]
GeoTalk: Meet Dan Evans, the new Early Career Scientist Union Representative!
Hello Dan. Thank you for agreeing to this interview! Before we dig deeper, could you tell our readers about yourself and your career background in soil science? Absolutely, Simon, thank you so much for inviting me to this interview. Well, one of my earliest memories is being in the garden, ripping up the grass to poke my fingers into the soil beneath. That curiosity has fuelled a life-long passion ...[Read More]
GeoPolicy: Dive into science for policy at EGU24
Each year, the EGU General Assembly hosts a wide range of scientific and skills-based sessions as that you can participate in to learn about new research, expand your network, diversify your expertise, and develop new skills! This includes an array of sessions that focus on science for policy, outlining how researchers can start engaging in policymaking processes, connect with decision makers, and ...[Read More]
GeoTalk: Gillian D’Souza reflects on her time as EGU’s Media Relations Manager
Gillian D’Souza is the European Geosciences Union’s outgoing Media Relations Manager. During her time at EGU Gillian deftly handled the Union’s media interaction and made strides in developing how the Union works with journalists. With Gillian now leaving EGU, we asked her to reflect on her time working for the Union at the science-media interface. Hello Gillian. During your time at E ...[Read More]
QUARTETnary – The card game about the geological time scale
Do you like games? Do you like the Earth? Then you will love QUARTETnary! QUARTETnary is a card game about the geological time scale, developed by long-term EGU members Iris van Zelst and Lucia Perez-Diaz and partly funded through the EGU Public Engagement Grant 2021. The game is finally ready to be manufactured, but in order for that to happen, we need you! So back the Kickstarter to secure your ...[Read More]
AI-based tools in scientific publishing: to what extent can we rely on them?
Academic publishing has considerably evolved in response to technological developments. Current discussions revolve around the rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or Large Language Models (LLM). They exceed the capabilities of simple spelling and grammar checkers or translation software and their use in the publication process has several implications that need to be considered. ...[Read More]
Bringing scientists and teachers together for the Cape Town GIFT workshop
Many teachers follow path writ by a particular diction, which reads “lifelong learning”. There is no other way, actually, to keep track of all of these fast changing issues and challenges of today’s world, which, in many ways, touch geoscientific topics (climate change, food security, geopolitics, to name but a few). Consequently many teachers are eager to learn from science as much as they can in ...[Read More]
The many ways of using art for science education: by artist and illustrator Heike Jane Zimmermann
This week – on 24 January – the world observed the International Day of Education. At EGU, it felt like the perfect time for us to explore the intersection of science and art, and how they can be used in creative ways to educate and inform people regardless of their age and background. I spoke to Heike Jane Zimmermann who is an illustrator and sculptor with a particular passion for eco ...[Read More]