T215 Developing the Global Geoscientist through International Geoscience Networks and Research Projects

Tuesday, 11 October 2011
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 208AB

THE YES NETWORK: CONNECT, COLLABORATE, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE GLOBAL GEOSCIENCE COMMUNITY

Paper number: T215-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 2:50 PM – 3:05 PM

Authors

Abstract

The YES Network is an interdisciplinary global network of young and early-career geoscientists that connect primarily via web-based technologies to collaborate on geoscience projects, organize international conferences, and develop resources that help young and early-career progress along their academic and career paths into successful geoscience careers. The YES Network was formed as a result of the International Year of Planet Earth in 2007. In 2009, in collaboration with the IYPE and under the patronage of UNESCO, the YES Network organized its first international Congress at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing, China. In less than two years, the YES Network membership has grown from ~350 geoscientists from 30 countries to over 1,400 members from 100 countries.

Several key factors have fostered the rapid growth of the YES Network including the use of a wide array of web-technologies that promote the YES Network to the geoscience community and provide connection “spaces” for members to congregate and discuss ideas, the development of national chapters to support the regional and national growth of the membership, and a nimble organizational structure that provides opportunities for members to get involved in international projects, YES Network leadership teams, and conference organizing committees. We discuss the successful strategies that the YES Network has employed to support its expansive growth over the past two years, and highlight projects and activities that have fostered the development of the future generation of global geoscientists.