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US1

Society has been facing many compounding impacts from extreme events related to natural and geo-hazards (storms, floods, droughts, volcanic eruptions, landslides, forest fires, etc.) that occur simultaneously or in succession. Ongoing societal, environmental, and political crises (such as the COVID19 pandemic and armed conflicts) provide additional challenges, reducing our capacity to deal with these compounding hazards and potentially impacting our ability to manage them in the future with resources, policies, and attention being redirected. With climate change likely to exacerbate the compounding impacts of these extreme events, this symposium asks whether we have the capacity to predict them in advance and reduce ecological, social, and economic damages. Knowing how science is used during extreme events, societal crises and subsequent policy discussions is key to understanding the role that researchers and the scientific community can play in providing evidence and support during pivotal moments.

This symposium will address how Europe can more effectively address multihazards and compounding impacts from extreme events through ongoing societal crises. It will outline the policy pathways and key legislation, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and European Green Deal, that are needed to frame common goals and how our current geopolitical crises will impact them. It will use specific examples, such as recent European droughts, current energy shortage, and potential food insecurity, to discuss how scientific evidence has been used to steer decisions and how these challenges could be used to boost technical developments and future initiatives. The panel will also discuss the need to create pre-emptive strategies and frameworks that minimize the impact of compounding natural disasters, unexpected societal crises, and resource shortages.

Public information:

We are very excited to welcome four excellent speakers to this Union symposium:

Dr Philip Ward: Professor of Global Water Risk Dynamics, Institute for Environmental Studies, Free University Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dr Tina Comes: Professor in Decision Theory & ICT for Resilience, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

Dr Elena Rovenskaya: Program Director, Advancing Systems Analysis Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria

Dr Artur Malantowicz: Leader of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network Coordination Team, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Commission

The session will be moderated by: Bikem Ekberzade, photojournalist, author and radio producer, and PhD student on the responses of different ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic) to external pressures and disturbances.

 

 

 

Convener: Micha Werner | Co-conveners: Viktor J. Bruckman, Emmanuel Salmon
Wed, 26 Apr, 10:45–12:30 (CEST)
 
Room E1
Wed, 10:45
US2 EDI

Despite a large, reported interest significant barriers prevent academics from contributing to decision-making processes, including a lack of knowledge about how to engage, insufficient time to participate, and a lack of acknowledgement of individual contributions beyond citations. For example, engaging with policy decision-making processes is not necessarily rewarded in the same way as other activities, such as publishing in journals or generating press coverage. This acts as a significant barrier to participation for many academics, but particularly early career researchers. But what might solutions look like? Funders can act as agents of change that promote, recognise and reward academic-policy engagement; universities must recognise and reward the varied workload attached to the impact agenda; policy institutions must provide academics the supporting documents which can help them to demonstrate impact. Whatever the solutions are, they require the foundation of new incentive structures, better recognition of engagement, and cultural change. Part of this requires establishing dialogue between academics, funding bodies, and policy institutions.

Public information:

The session conveners are excited to announce the Symposium speakers below:

Time Block 1: 8:30 - 10:15

  • James Morris: Senior Policy Officer, Science Europe
  • Karen Stroobants: Researcher, Policy Adviser and Consultant on research policy and strategy
  • Barbara Ervens: Chair of the EGU Publications Committee and Research Scientist at University Clermont- Auvergne
  • Ruth Morgan: Professor of Crime and Forensic Science and Director of the Centre for the Forensic Sciences at the University College London

Moderator: Megan O’Donnell, Head of Policy and Communications at The Geological Society of London

Time Block 2: 10:45 - 12:30

  • Dave Carlson: Former Director of World Climate Research Programme
  • Sam Illingworth: Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK
  • Annegret Larsen: Assistant Professor in Soil Geography and Landscape Research, Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
  • Tome Sandevski Director Science Policy Dialogue Projects at Goethe University Frankfurt

Moderator: Kasey White, Director for Geoscience Policy at The Geological Society of America

Convener: Loic PiretECSECS | Co-conveners: Megan O'Donnell, Noel Baker, Chloe Hill
Mon, 24 Apr, 08:30–12:30 (CEST)
 
Room E1
Mon, 08:30
US3

Europe is made up of a diverse group of countries with different languages, cultures and environmental pressures. As the European Geoscience Union celebrates its 20th anniversary and looks forward to its next challenging 20 years, we would like to reflect on the current representation of European countries within our geoscience community. We would like to explore the barriers our under-represented European countries face in order to access geoscientific knowledge and resources to conduct scientific research and network with the international geoscience community.
With this Union Symposium, we would like to initiate a conversation with our members on a number of challenges faced by researchers from under-represented European countries. The aim is to explore initiatives that EGU can develop to help raise awareness of and to promote the inclusion and diversity of geoscientists from under-represented European countries in the geoscience ecosystem.

Public information:

Union Symposium US 3 EGU 2023

Challenges and solutions to increasing accessibility, representation, recognition and diversity of European countries in the European geosciences community.  

Short description

In the need for a diverse representation of European geoscience and geoscientists throughout the EGU this Union Symposium is meant to raise awareness on the existence of under-represented countries in the EGU structure. In reference to countries of researchers’ affiliation, not their nationality, we will explore the barriers and the cultural differences that potentially mitigate participation of certain nations in decision-making activities of our Union as well as the available tools and mechanisms that can increase a sense of belonging within the geoscience community. Our aim is to come up with concrete and feasible ways to foster inclusivity and strengthen the research ties between relatively under-represented countries in the EGU structure, and those with strong historical connections to the Union that shall lead to appropriately enhancing the representation of countries within Europe that are otherwise vastly underrepresented in EGU leadership structures (e.g. Division Presidents/Officers, Journal Executive/Chief editors, General Assembly session conveners, journal topical editors of EGU journals). The outcomes of this Symposium will be compiled into a suite of Policy Recommendations that will be presented by us at the Friday afternoon EGU PC Feedback and Council Meetings.

The Union Symposium is structured in two time blocks starting at 8:30 and finishing at 12:30. We plan to have presentations in the first time block and a round table and a moderated discussion with the audience in the second time block with an open-forum and directed questions that address policy and function and constructive means of engagement.

Agenda 

Europeans and the EGU. Who is missing?

Time Block 1 (8:30-10:15)- moderated by Lisa Wingate

8:30-8:45 Lisa Wingate (INRAE, France, EGU EDI Committee, BG division president) - Welcome, presenting the aims of US 3 and introduction of the Conveners of US3

8:45-9:00 Stephen Mojzsis (Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary, PS division president)

Problems, potentials, policies, pitfalls and polities in the European geosciences Union

9:00-9:15 Liviu Matenco (Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Netherlands)

Understanding the complex east-west relationships in the European geoscience research landscape. How European is the EGU?

9:15-9:30 Alida Timar-Gabor (Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

How inclusive is the EGU? Editorial boards of EGU journals show an imbalance in European countries-of-affiliation.

9:30-9:45 Slobodan Nickovic (Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia Belgrade, Serbia)

Testimonials and challenges of the Plinius Medal (2022) recipient.

9:45-10:15

Helen M. Glaves (British Geological Survey, UK, EGU president)

Irina M. Artimieva (GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany and Stanford University, USA, EGU vice-president)

Martina Krämer (Institute for Energy and Climate Research 7: Stratosphere (IEK-7), Research Center Jülich, Germany, Senior Editor Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Journal).

Time Block 2 (10:45-12:30) - moderated by Stephen Mojzsis

Round table guests and speakers: 

Ira Didenkulova (University of Oslo, Norway, NH division president)

Irka Hajdas (ETH Zurich, Switzerland, CL division president)

Alberto Montanari (University of Bologna, Italy, EDI committee co-chair)

Igor Leščešen (University of Novi Sad, Serbia)

Liviu Matenco (Utrecht University, Netherlands)

Danuta Michałska (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland)

Slobodan Nickovic (Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia)

Mihai Niculiță (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Romania, NH OSPP Coordinator)

Alida Timar-Gabor (Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

 

Convener: Alida Timar-Gabor | Co-conveners: Ivica Vilibić, Ira Didenkulova, Liviu Matenco, Lisa Wingate
Fri, 28 Apr, 08:30–12:30 (CEST)
 
Room E1
Fri, 08:30
US4

Many geoscientists at some point in their career have the responsibility of caring for family members for extended periods of time. Depending on the support networks in place this can lead to considerable and all too often insurmountable periods of time in a geoscientists career where they find themselves excluded from geoscientific networking experiences and employment opportunities. This not only leads to carers experiencing feelings of isolation, they may also experience financial difficulties alongside increased mental charge eventually causing many carers to leave the geoscience ecosystem. In the case of sole parents and carers the lack of accessibility to research opportunities that help build their career is particularly acute. Formal support for geoscientist parents is often lacking within academic institutions. Pragmatic support networks and funding in academia are vital to help researchers and their dependents build healthy and fulfilling careers and lives.
As the European Geoscience Union celebrates its 20th anniversary and looks forward to its next challenging 20 years, we recognise and would like to raise awareness that a large fraction of geoscientists have caring responsibilities that exclude them from participating in the European Geoscience Union General Assembly.
With this Union Symposium, we would like to initiate a conversation to raise awareness of the challenges experienced by EGU members with caring responsibilities and especially sole carers over the past few years. We want to explore feasible solutions that can increase the inclusion of carers in geoscientific conferences and look into tools and mechanisms that can facilitate accessibility.

Public information:

We are pleased to announce the following speakers/contributors:

  • Dr. Helen Glaves - British Geological Survey, UK
  • Dr. Lisa Wingate - INRAE, France
  • Dr. Munira Raji - University of Plymouth, UK
  • Dr. Catherine Booth - Imperial College London, UK
  • Dr. Marie Cavitte - University Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
  • Dr. Brice Van Liefferinge - Government Admin, Brussels Region, Belgium
  • Dr. Nir Galili - ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Dr. Angela Liberatore - European Research Council, Belgum
  • Dr. Daniele Mammoli - European Research Council, Belgum
Convener: Lisa Wingate | Co-conveners: Dr Munira RajiECSECS, Jenny Turton, Evguenia Roussak
Tue, 25 Apr, 14:00–18:00 (CEST)
 
Room E1
Tue, 14:00
US5

An ally is often defined as someone who is not a member of a marginalised group but wants to support and take action to help others in that group. Allyship is crucial for realising the potential for inclusion and equality, and in turn improving diversity in a broader community. Being an effective ally for marginalised groups is often a delicate balance of supporting actions. For example, poor allyship can be speaking over marginalised people by taking credit and receiving recognition for arguments that the unprivileged have been making for their entire lives. However, transformative progress can be made when individuals with privilege – and power – can work with solidarity and partnership with a marginalised group of people and help amplify their voices and remove the systems and structures that impact the group’s rights, access, and ability to thrive in our community.
This Union Symposium will highlight and discuss allyship and its role in improving equality, diversity and inclusion across the geosciences.

Convener: Daniel Parsons
Tue, 25 Apr, 08:30–10:15 (CEST)
 
Room E1
Tue, 08:30