The 35th International Geological Congress (IGC35) takes place August 27–September 4, 2016, in Cape Town, South Africa, and seeks submissions for poster sessions and presentations by geoscientists around the world.
Consider presenting on a technical topic in a geoscience speciality or on an aspect of professionalism in geoscience important to a practice area or to the work of your professional association as a self-regulatory body.The program for IGC Cape Town in 2016 covers 49 themes under three overarching topics, including Geology for Society, Geology for the Economy, and Fundamental Geoscience. The Geology for Society topic includes professionalism and Geo-ethics. Field trips, short courses and workshops on each of the topics are also planned.
Deadline for submissions of presentation abstracts is fast approaching – January 31, 2016.
The International Union of Geological Sciences holds IGCs every four years on behalf of its 121 national member countries.
The inclusion of geoscience professionalism and ethics is new at the IGC35. Since 1878, the congresses have served as geoscience’s foremost global scientific gatherings. Beginning in 2016, the International Professional Geology Conference (IPGC) merges with the International Geological Congress, bringing with it an additional focus on geoscience professionalism at the global or international scale.
Professionalism is becoming an increasingly important aspect of geoscience practice. By merging with the IGC, IPGC avoids running a niche global event only on professionalism, eliminates competition for members’ professional-development resources, and builds efficiencies in joining forces with a recurring event that also seeks to attract geoscientists from around the world and across every discipline. The International Union of Geological Sciences’ Task Group on Global Geoscience Professionalism at the 34th IGC in Brisbane, Australia, in 2012, provided further incentive for collaboration, as the task group’s participating organizations comprise the same organizations that previously championed and hosted stand-alone IPGC events.
