246 Best Practices for Developing International Collaborations in the Geosciences

This session invites presentations on successful scientist to scientist international collaborations in the geosciences in research and educational activities, focussing on how they developed and keys to their success. It will also explore how organizations can help foster international collaborations/engagements.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 301A

Laying the Foundation for International Geoscience Collaborations; International Geological Congress 2028 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada).

Paper number: 246-6
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Authors

Abstract

The International Geological Congress (IGC) is returning to North America (2028; Calgary) after an absence of nearly 40 years (1989; Washington, DC). The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) with over 100 member countries representing over 1 million geoscientists is the governing body for IGCs. These IGCs represent a significant foundation for developing international geoscience collaborations, especially for early career geoscientists. The IGC National Organization Committee (NOC) is working closely with the UNESCO International Geoscience Program (IGCP) to provide the foundation for future IGCP projects while showcasing the results from IGCP projects currently in progress across the globe. All IGCP programs must include international collaborations and focus on geoscience research of international significance.

 

The IGC 2028 International Advisory Council was stood up to provide guidance for ensuring international and diverse representation for plenary talks, leadership positions for the scientific program, and mentorship for the emerging young geoscience leaders for the future, including opportunities for geoscientists from the global south. The 2024 IUGS Business Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, focused on “Geoscience in Africa”. One session at IGC 2028 will showcase the resultant “Ten Action Plan for Africa”. The 2026 IUGS Business Meeting will be held in Bogota, Colombia with the intention of developing a similar plan for Central and South America. The “Geosciences of Americas” Symposium at IGC 2028 will provide opportunities to promote collaborations between North, Central and South American geoscientists to address this plan for Central and South America in addition to the plans for the Keynote Daily Themes.    

 

Keynote Daily Themes (KDT) such as “Sustainability, Climate Change and Natural Disasters” and “Critical Minerals and Sustainable Energy Transition” were chosen to promote topics of international interest that align with the conference tagline “Geosciences for Humanity”. The “Future of Geosciences” KDT is of international concern due to dwindling geoscience major students in universities across North America, European countries, United Kingdom and Australia. IGC 2028 will also feature a focus on Indigenous Geosciences with a dedicated scientific theme in addition to having an Indigenous Village inside the Convention Centre that will showcase cultural displays and demonstrations, food, businesses and local tourism opportunities.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-414627

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