News Archive
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Sierd Cloetingh bestowed with Arthur Holmes Medal At the European Geoscience Union’s General Assembly in April 2013 in Vienna, Austria, Earth Science Matters Board member Sierd Cloetingh received EGU’s most prestigious Arthur Holmes Medal for his exceptional contributions to solid Earth dynamics and in particular for his pioneer research in lithosphere evolution. Major international research programmes, as TOPO-Europe, are initiated and coordinated through his research group currently based in Utrecht University (the Netherlands) which attracted 60 PhD students from 20 nations to complete their thesis under his supervision. The Arthur Holmes Medal tops an impressive list of international awards bestowed on Prof. Cloetingh, who is a member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council and the President of the International Lithosphere Program (ILP). The ILP is one of Earth Science Matters Partners from the beginning and has been represented on many international geological events through a joint booth. Sierd Cloetingh always had a keen eye to expose Earth scientific information to a wider audience and the Earth Science Matter Foundation is proud having this icon of international geoscientific research in its leadership! |
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Commemoration ceremony Dr Wissam Al-Hashimi On 12 February 2013 a ceremony was held in the Burlington House, home of the Geological Society in London, to commemorate Dr Wissam Al-Hashimi who was kidnapped, tortured and brutally killed by terrorists in August 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq. Dr Wissam Al-Hashimi was Vice-President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) from 1996-2002. In addition, he was the President of the Geological Society of Iraq and the Secretary-General of the Arab Geological Association (AGA) since 1993. Dr Al-Hashimi was an engineering geologist by profession with significant experience in underground construction. So that others could learn from his expertise, he was invited to contribute to the First International Conference on Sustainable Development and Management of the Subsurface, held in Utrecht, The Netherlands in 2003. His written contribution about the underground city of Al-Najaf in Iraq was presented in a recently published book: Sustainable Development and Management of the shallow Subsurface. This book was dedicated to Dr Wissam Al-Hashimi and to his legacy for the global geoscientific community. At the ceremony, first copies of the book were presented to his widow Mrs. Muatabar Hasan and to his daughters Farah and Balsam Wissam-Al-Hashimi, who attended the ceremony in person together with other family members and friends, the President of the Geological Society of London, David Shilston, the President of the International Union of Geological Sciences represented by Dr Eduardo de Mulder, the authors of the book, the cultural attaché of the Iraqi Embassy in the UK and the Editor of Geoscientist magazine, Ted Nield. Through a family member another first copy of the book was presented to Wissam’s daughter Mrs Tara Wissam Al-Hashimi, who was unable to attend. Words of welcome were expressed by David Shilston, President of the Geological Society of London, and some highlights of the book were presented by co-author Dr Robert Hack. Based on his personal observations the significance of Dr. Al-Hashimi for the global geoscience community was expressed by Dr Eduardo de Mulder, co-author of the book and former President of the IUGS, whose term partly overlapped with that of Dr Al-Hashimi as Vice-President of this organisation. At the end of the ceremony some words of thanks were given on behalf of the Al-Hashimi by Mrs Muatabar Hasan. The ceremony was recorded for broadcast on Iraqi National TV. The event was organised by the Geological Society of London, IUGS, the Earth Matters Foundation and by the authors of the book. |
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Earth Science Matters active in Africa The Earth Science Matters Foundation participated in the 24th Colloquium of African Geology (CAG24) that was held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) from 8-14 January 2013. This Colloquium which also celebrated the 40th birthday of the Geological Society of Africa (GSAf), was entitled Earth Sciences Solutions to African Development Challenges. Four hundred and fifty participants form more than 60 nations were registered and gathered in the Millennium Hall during a well organized international Conference. The Earth Science Matters Foundation was presented in three ways: through a presentation entitled The Earth Science Matters Foundation, a model for Geoscientific outreach, on 10 January, through a brainstorm session for National ESM Focal Points, held in the Bole Ambassador Hotel on 11 January, and through a joint exhibition (with IAMG, ILP, and GSAf) in the Millennium Hall during the entire Conference. The brainstorm session was attended by 18 persons and resulted in three new applications for National Focal Points (Sudan, Egypt and South Africa), bringing the number of nations representing ESM to 22, while 8 more nations are pending. Moreover, through participation by three members of the Young Earth Scientists (YES) Initiative, cooperation with the Foundation was strengthened resulting in new initiatives. That also holds for ESM cooperation with IUGS’s COGE Commission and not least with GSAf. A joint project proposal was developed for the GEO-ERA Programme in which the ESM is a partner. Finally, a one-page document was produced outlining the mandate, mission, position, long-term vision and short-term concrete actions. |
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Argentina honoured Professor Aberra Mogessie with the Leloir Prize On 23 November 2012, Prof. Aberra Mogessie (Board member of the Earth Science Matters Foundation, President of the Geological Society of Africa, based in the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Graz, Austria) was bestowed with one of Argentina's most prestigious prizes, the Federico Leloir Prize. This Prize, named after Dr Federico Leloir (1906-1987), the first Argentinean Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1970), was given in recognition of the work by foreign experts who contributed significantly in promoting and strengthening cooperation in science, technology and innovation with Argentina, in the spirit of Leloir’s legacy. The Prize was provided by the Ministry of International Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation and handed over by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Barañao at the Palacio San Martín in Buenos Aires. |
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National Focal Points for the Earth Science Matters Foundation In August 2012, the Earth Science Matters Board decided to identify National ESM Focal Points in various countries around the globe. Such ESM Focal Points are individuals well positioned in their national earth scientific society who have a specific antenna for geoscience outreach. National Focal Points agreed to communicate relevant outreach oriented activities in their nation to the ESM Secretariat and to communicate such information from other nations in their own countries. We are proud to announce the first National Focal Points. |
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New Board member: Aberra Mogessie To strengthen its ties with the African continent and to benefit from his extensive geoscientific networks the Earth Science Matters Foundation appointed Prof. Dr Aberra Mogessie as a Board member in its 2nd Board meeting held in Brisbane, Australia, August 2012. Prof. Mogessie is the President of the Geological Society of Africa (GSAf) which brings together all geoscientific entities in the continent. As a Professor of petrology Aberra Mogessie has served as Chairman of the Institute of Mineralogy and Petrology of the University of Graz, Austria and is at present serving as the Vice-President of the Austrian Mineralogical Society (OEMG). Prof. Mogessie is associated with a wide range of other professional geoscientific organizations. He is the 2011 recipient of the NMGS (Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society) Award in Gold and a Plaque in honor of Prof. O. Oyawoye of Nigeria as a hard rock African Geologist. He is nominated and will be awarded the Luis Federico Leloir Prize to International Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation by the Argentinian Minister of Science in November 2012. |
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New Partner: The Geological Society of Africa The Earth Science Matters Foundation is proud and happy to announce Partnership with the Geological Society of Africa (GSAf). This Society is the main geoscientific body representing scientists in almost all African nations. Spurred by the Geological Society of Africa, geoscientists in many African nations have been involved in the International Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009). As a follow-on activity of the IYPE, primarily focused on geoscientific outreach, Earth Science Matters looks forward to intense cooperation with the GSAf, also through the national ESM Focal Points currently being established throughout the continent. The Foundation will be represented in CAG24, the bi-annual Colloquium on African geosciences to be held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) from 8-14 January 2013. |
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Board meeting in Brisbane, Australia The Earth Science Matters Foundation held its second Board meeting on 6 August in Brisbane, Australia while benefitting of the gathering of many Earth scientists for the quadrennial International Geological Congress. A new Board member was appointed (Prof. Aberra Mogessie) and the Geological Society of Africa entered as a new Partner. In the meeting it was agreed to establish national Focal Points representing individual nations in the Foundation. A separate meeting was held for national Focal Points on 8 August. A Report prepared by Courtney Jermyn to apply social media for the Foundation was adopted. A wide variety of actual and potential projects amongst others dealing with Groundwater & Food Security, geo-education, Geoparks, awareness raising movies, support to International (UN) Years, was reviewed. |
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Sospeter Muhongo appointed Minister of Energy and Minerals Congratulations to Earth Science Matters' Board member Prof. Dr Sospeter Muhongo who was appointed Minister of Energy and Minerals of the United Republic of Tanzania on 4 May 2012 by the President of the Republic. Through this significant appointment of one today's Earth scientific leaders the Foundation looks forward to further develop its relations with Earth science communities in Africa and beyond and to promote tabling Earth scientific issues on political agendas. |
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2011 Annual Report on the Earth Science Matters Foundation (pdf) |
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1st International Conference on African and Arabian Geoparks (El Jadida, Morocco, 20-28 November 2011) |
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Earth Science Matters - Brochure (pdf, 2.3 MB) |
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International Year of Planet Earth - Final Report (pdf, 2.3 MB) |
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