The International Geoscience Programme (IGCP), a collaboration of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), is now approaching 40 years of experience in supporting the development of international research teams which have increasingly focused on topics of relevance to society, capacity building and knowledge-sharing between developed and developing nations. A number of characteristics of this program which have been critical to its success will be essential to maintaining its relevance into the future while also providing models for younger international research networks. These criteria include: a bottom-up operational style with scientists taking the lead in project development, peer-review quality control, cost-sharing practices which seek additional funding from various public and private sources, a truly global nature from nationality of members of the research team, meeting venues around the world and shared laboratory facilities, and finally an interdisciplinary approach to the earth system. Based on this experience and the younger UNESCO Earth Science Education Initiative in Africa, UNESCO is working with the IUGS Commission on Education, Training and Tech Transfer to understand and improve upon earth science education globally.

This talk will draw on the experience of the IGCP to suggest approaches for future international geoscience networks including reflections on more recent initiatives such as the Global Geopark Network and the Education Initiative in Africa. These networks will prove crucial as we grapple with increasingly globalized earth science challenges from access to natural resources to natural hazard response to climate change mitigation in increasingly globalized societies.