Registration is now open for GfGD’s first National Conference – ‘Fighting Global Poverty – Can Geologists Help?’ – taking place on Wednesday 23rd October 2013, at the Geological Society of London. Across the world millions of people lack access to clean water, are exposed to multiple natural hazards, or suffer as a result of severe environmental degradation. Is this inevitable, or can we as a scientific and skilled community do something about this? In 16 weeks we hope to gather 150 students and recent graduates from across the UK (and perhaps beyond) to consider the ways in which we can use our knowledge effectively to fight global poverty.
Every Wednesday from now until the conference itself we will be devoting a blog post to different aspects of the conference, introducing the speakers, debating some of the reading material, or advertising an opportunity for YOU to get involved.
Today we give you a taste of what is planned and some of the ways you can get involved…
We have put together a number of sessions with speakers exploring the different ways that geoscientists are contributing to international development and the skills required to make an effective and sustainable contribution throughout your careers. The conference will also be an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about GfGD and the work we are doing, network with other geoscientists from across the country who are eager to help fight global poverty, and hear from a range of enthusiastic and inspiring individuals, many from geoscience backgrounds, who are involved in sustainable development.
Our first session will take a look at the work of those in fields such as disaster risk reduction, water and sanitation and engineering geology. Speakers will share from their experiences, including the challenges they face applying geology to development projects, the skills they have needed to develop and ideas of possible career routes. It will be a practical, informative and hopefully inspiring session, giving ideas of how geology has made a real difference in community development – and the ways in which this is done.
Subject to possible overseas travel commitments we are delighted to welcome Professor Richard Carter (Visiting Professor of International Water Development at Cranfield University, Former Head of Technical Support at WaterAid), Dr Kate Crowley (Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor at CAFOD) and Dr Gareth Hearn (Engineering Geologist at URS Scott Wilson).
Effective Communication for Effective Development
In the afternoon we will be exploring the key theme of effective communication and the impact that this can have on development projects. Learning how to communicate our geological knowledge to stakeholders such as the local community, policy makers, NGOs and the media can help achieve sustainability and increase effectiveness. Communication is also a two-way process, and we must learn to listen to other stakeholders and utilise their knowledge and insights.
Run in the style of a BBC Question Time, this session is an opportunity for you to put questions to a panel of experts and join in what we hope will be a lively and interesting discussion. Panel members will be drawn from academia, NGOs, the UK Government and other relevant communities to ensure an energetic and balanced debate. To help you contribute, we’ve suggested some reading and noted possible discussion questions to help you engage with the material. We’ll be exploring some of these papers over the next few weeks on our blog, and encourage you to join in the discussion prior to the conference.
Keynote Address
The conference will include a keynote address by Dr Martin Smith (Science Director for the British Geological Survey’s Global Geoscience Programme). BGS Global Geoscience is a leading provider of applied geoscience services, with an extensive programme of international research, surveying and monitoring, including major institutional strengthening programmes in the developing world. Their work is directed towards development issues such as, (i) the sustainable benefits from natural resources, (ii) improving quality of life, (iii) protection of people and of the natural environment, (iv) poverty alleviation. These core aims are ones that GfGD closely align themselves with, and we very much look forward to Martin sharing more about their work, and lessons they have learned during their many active years.
Get Involved
There will be a number of opportunities for students to get involved, including presenting posters of relevant undergraduate and postgraduate work, GfGD University Group activities or ideas from the discussion group material. We’ll be awarding prizes throughout the day for the best posters. We will also be giving two winners from this years GfGD Blog Competition (launched soon, watch this space) the opportunity to share their posts as mini-presentations at the conference, a great opportunity for the CV.
Register Now
Tickets for the conference are limited, and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Tickets for students and unwaged are £5 and tickets for those in employment are £10. You can purchase tickets and register for the conference here. All available details will be published online at www.gfgd.org/conferences and circulated to those who have registered prior to the event.
— Please note that the conference material is aimed at students and recent graduates, but we would be happy to hear from experienced professionals who are interested in attending – particularly if they would be willing to share their experiences with students through the poster session and informal networking (please contact conference@gfgd.org) —
