Theme Sessions

The Technical Program Committee, an international group made up of representatives from professional geoscience associations in Australia, Europe, the United States of America and Canada will be developing a program of oral presentations for the conference. Thetwo day program of oral presentations will consist of eight quarter-day sessions each with a different theme.

Abstract are invited for short 20 minute presentations that might fall in any of the followingeight broad theme sessions. Submission of abstract for presentations on other topics relevant to the conference in general are also encouraged. All abstracts must be submitted using theSubmit Online facilities and all submitters must agree to the Abstract Submission Terms and Conditions

Theme Sessions
Session / Topic
Theme Session #1 / Earth Science – Global Practice
Theme Session #2 / Securities and Other Public Reporting – Global Perspective
Theme Session #3 / Geohazards – Keeping the Public Safe
Theme Session #4 / Geoscience Practice – Environmental Responsibility
Theme Session #5 / Practice Skills, Competencies and Capacity for Sustaining a Global Profession – Part I
Theme Session #6 / Practice Skills, Competencies and Capacity for Sustaining a Global Profession – Part II
Theme Session #7 / Geoscience in an Interdisciplinary World
Theme Session #8 / Serving Society – Effective Public Engagement
Theme Session #9 / Other (general topic)

Theme Session #1: Earth Science – Global Practice

This short opening session of the Technical Program will mainly consist of the keynote addressby an invitedspeaker. The topic of the keynote address will directly focus on the overall theme of the conference Earth Science – Global Practice.
Back to top

Theme Session #2: Securities and Other Public Reporting – Global Perspective

This extended session will cover the full range of issues related to public reporting by geoscientists. Papers are encouraged that address the many challenges and risks thatindividual geoscientists face when reporting to clients who are issuers of securities on stock exchanges. Also invited are papers on other public reporting activity by geoscientists for public dissemination, including minerals, energy, water, waste andother policy support, strategic and site specific environmental assessment, and public information and advocacy. The session also seeks papers on issues and challenges faced by professional geoscientists acting as expert witnesses, and as qualified or competent persons reporting under the CRIRSCO family of codes, NI 51-101 and other codes for oil and gas reporting, or other coded application of the QP/CP concept.
Back to top

Theme Session #3: Geohazards – Keeping the Public Safe

Sound practices in all geohazards work is key to keeping the public safe. Papers are encouraged that address professional practice topics and issues facing geoscientists whose practices encompass geological hazards of all forms, both natural and man-made. Suggested topics include, the ways which hazards are identified, risks are assessed and effects mitigated, as well as the way they are communicated to policy makers and the public. The role of professional geoscientists in making recommendations forland use, public safety and emergency planning are also invited. The session will also address the balance between freedom of the individual and restrictive legal and regulatory approaches necessary to keeping populations safe.
Back to top

Theme Session #4: Geoscience practice – Environmental Responsibility

All professionalshave a responsibility to safeguard the public and the natural environment. This session will address practice issues related to the application of environmental and engineering geoscience in activities such as water management, contaminated siteremediation, tailings disposal, geothermal, hydrofracking, waste disposal (including radioactive underground storage) or CO2 sequestration. Papers are alsoinvited thataddress practice issues relating to health and safety, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability in environmental and engineering geoscience practice.
Back to top

Theme Session #5: Practice Skills, Competencies and Capacity for Sustaining a Global Profession – Part I

• Changes in the profession – demographics,employee retention, and the global profession;
•Continuing profession development and how it is monitored and reported;
• Developing an understanding of and training in professional ethics; and
• Mutual recognition issues between regulatory jurisdictions.

This two-part session will focus on the broad issues of skills and competencies that professional geoscientists require and must develop further in order to undertake the work they do in a safe and professional manner, the recruitment of younger geoscientists into the profession, and employee retention. The sessions will cover topics such as:

• Developing and encouraging more interest in the geoscience profession;
• How our universities are preparing geology students for the workforce;
• Entry-level job to seniorprofessional practice requirements and international comparisons;
• Competency profiles for geoscience work and methods of determining competency;
• The importance of career development and mentoringto meetprofessional standards.

The session may also cover:
• Changes in employee work habits and employer expectations;
• Recruitment of university graduates;
• Professional societies – their role in the geoscience profession;
• Networking systems for young professionals (such as the YES networks);

Papers are sought that address these and other topics pertinent to the broad topic of “Practice skills and competencies for sustaining a global profession”.
Back to top

Theme Session #6: Practice Skills, Competencies and Capacity for Sustaining a Global Profession – Part II

This is a continuation of Session #5 and will focus on the broad issues of skills and competencies that professional geoscientists require and must develop further in order to undertake the work they do in a safe and professional manner, the recruitment of younger geoscientists into the profession, and retention of professional geoscientists. Back to top

Theme Session#7: Geoscience in an Interdisciplinary World

Geoscience practice involves collaboration with other professions (engineers, bankers, lawyers, analysts, regulators)geosciencemust also be underpinned by appropriate applied and academic research and by university teaching that makes explicit links to professional practice. Papers are invited that address the issues and challenges of interdisciplinary practice and also of ensuring more effective communication and collaboration between professional geoscientists engaged in teaching and research and those applying geoscience in industry or public service. Talks are also sought that discuss how different organizations use inter-disciplinary approaches in developing and deploying work teams in large national and global consultancies/corporations, how experts are assigned globally, how“associates” firms operate, how successful industry/university/public partnerships are optimized and how remote and virtual teamwork is best achieved.

Back to top

Theme Session #8: Serving Society – Effective Public Engagement

Effective public engagement has long been recognized as a challenge for geoscientists. This session will look at the broad issue of public engagement in geoscience. Papers are encouraged that consider the range of contexts in which effective public engagement is important, including the very specific work that geoscientists do as first-on-the-ground ambassadors of companies during exploration programs, and in community engagement for establishing a basis of trust to obtain a “social licence” to operate. Corporate social responsibility and how organisations succeed (or fail) in living up to promises and policies in this regard will be an important theme. In addition, the session will consider broader personal responsibilities of individual professionals to explain the value of earth materials and processes to the needs of society and to encourage youth to consider geoscience as a challenging and rewarding career.

Back to top

/ IUGS- the International Union of Geological Sciences- is a supporter of 4IPGC‘s Technical Program.