News

06 February 2020

The IGSC is the International Geosciences Student Conference is organized for students from
various fields within geosciences and its related fields. It will take place in Aachen,
Germany, from July 5 – 10, 2020, and will be supported by the EAGE Student Fund and hosting
a regional qualifier for the EAGE GeoQuiz in 2021 during the EAGE Annual Meeting in Madrid, Spain.

The theme of the IGSC 2020 is as follows and revolves around the following four major topics:
-Applied Geosciences in a Modern Society.
-Acting responsibly for a sustainable future.
-Energy – Environment & Sustainability – Engineering – Raw Materials and Mineral Resources.

Since its conception in 2010 in Bucharest, the IGSC has been organised in various countries and
by several students of different nationalities. After Berlin in 2013, the honour comes
back to Germany to the city of Aachen, a wonderful opportunity in a perfect central European
location. Uppsala, Sweden, the home of the 2019 event, is where the journey of the IGSC 2020 began.
Our mission, to keep delivering science and knowledge to our fellow colleagues—
the students—is the central point of this event.

Our aim of the IGSC 2020 is to provide a platform for students at all levels to present their current research
and thesis work to other students from around the world, scientists from different universities,
research institutes, industry representatives, and sponsors. By giving the students this opportunity
through oral and poster presentations, students will have an impact on the geoscience community,
exchange ideas with peers, enhance their knowledge, and expand their professional network.

We, the organisers, look forward to receiving abstracts for posters and oral presentations related to the above-mentioned topics and other geoscience-related topics.
More information on the abstract submission, deadlines, and the registration for the
IGSC 2020 at https://igsc2020.rwth-aachen.de/abstracts/ and https://igsc2020.rwth-aachen.de/registration/.

Similarly, keynote speeches around the themes of the IGSC 2020 will provide students
with a broader insight into these fields and teach a critical judgment of current developments
in science. Technical and soft skills workshops carried out by leaders from the industry and academia
complement the programme and provide students with the opportunity of gaining practical skills
and hands-on experience in current trending geoscience topics. Students will strengthen and
expand their speaking and presenting skills which are essential in today´s world!

An extensive social programme including field trips, an icebreaker party, a farewell party, evening activities,
and a post-conference programme will complement the conference. Be sure not to miss out on this
great opportunity to learn, network, and have fun. For more information about the event, please visit
https://igsc2020.rwth-aachen.de/. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at
@IGSConference.

3o January 2020

The newly established EAGE Student Chapter at Delta State University is ready to start 2020 with
a resolution list that includes plenty of students’ activities.

The SC is interested to take the leadership of Nigerian student’s activities and the need to develop
students with great geosciences and engineering skills are the motivations behind the
establishment with 24 members. Delta State University(Delsu) is a great citadel of learning,
located in the coastal city of Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria, West Africa It is a state-owned
university offering a wide range of courses.
The SC Delta state University motto is “Knowledge, Character & Service.
Victor Ededhor, who is the SC president, defined SC Delta as determined with adequate funding,
and they look forward to hosting well-attended activities.

Members of the student’s chapter have been involved in diverse activities such as IPTC2020, and the
Wellsite & Operations Geology Course/Training sponsored by NAPE
(Nigerian Association of Petroleum Exploitationists).

SC Delta would like to thank the EAGE Student Fund for the opportunity to promote the development and
application of geosciences and supporting Nigerian students according to the mission of the ESF.

23 January 2020

The Student Chapter at the National University of Ireland led the organization
of the iGEO2020 Early Career Symposium, which took place at the NUI, Galway, Ireland.
iGEO2020 started on the 9th of January 2020 with an opening ceremony
delivered by
university President Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh and Former Minister of State of natural resources
Seán Canney.

Over 80 registered delegates including speakers and workshop leaders were in attendance.
This was followed by the first set of workshops that ran side by side. Rather than focussing
on science only, the student chapter decided to follow a multi-disciplinary approach.
The first set of workshops focused on interview skills related to industry and public
sector roles, diversity and bias in the workplace and a technical workshop on spatial analysis
processing. After lunch keynote speakers Prof. Murray Hitzman, Lucy Cotton and
Dr. Jared Peters gave their talks followed by a discussion about the future of geoscience for
a sustainable society.

Poster sessions and 3-minute lightning talks had 30 early-career attendees showcased
their current work. This was followed by the conference dinner and social.

On the second day of the symposium, the second set of workshops focuses on linking science
and policy, identifying stress trigger and mindfulness, is consultancy a career for you
and a technical workshop focusing on Geostatistics coding in R.

An industry exhibition was held where Dalradian Gold, New Boliden, University College
Cork and iCRAG had stands and allowing delegates to speak directly with representatives.
RealSIM also attended the showcase with a 3D virtual reality experience of Galway Bay through time.
After this, we had the prize giving for runner up and best poster and lightning talks
followed by the closing ceremony.

The students from the university were able to exchange information between
delegates industry and academia and the career development of ECGs.

The Student Chapter at the National University of Ireland ultimate goal of iGEO2020 is to foster
scientific debate & discussion surrounding the key issues affecting the future of Irish
geoscience as well as promote a) the exchange of information between ECG’s, industry
and academia and b) the career development of ECGs.

The Student Chapter at the National University of Ireland wishes to thank the EAGE Student
Fund for providing financial support to this activity.

16 Januari, 2020

Last month, the students of the Student Chapter at the Suez University in
Egypt organised the sixth edition of the International Petroleum &
Geoscience Conference. Although one of the last student activities in 2019, it
most certainly was not the smallest. With today’s post, we look back at the
Suez Chapter’s event and the difference the ESF was able to make.

The EAGE Student Chapter at Suez University has a strong track record. It
was established in 2014 and has been building on their engagement since.
Students from the chapter made the best of their involvement with the ESF-
backed initiatives, participating in the Laurie Dake Challenge in 2017 and
2019, in addition to winning the award for ‘Best Student Chapter’ in 2015.
The support for the IPGC conference series is therefore something that fits
well within the ESF portfolio.

A multi-disciplinary meeting

With the variety of projects going on in Egypt, the chapter wanted to bring a
broad range of speakers to the meeting – not merely focusing on applied
geoscience or academia, but a mix of both sectors. They managed to do so
by creating dedicated sessions spread over three days, including technical
sessions, panel discussions and workshops.

The multidisciplinary character of the meeting is well illustrated by the
opening discussion, bringing together Prof. Dr. Mustafa from the Egyptian
Petroleum Research Institute, Mr. Corais, CEO of Borais Petroleum and Prof.
Dr. Bakr together to discuss the future of energy in Egypt. The conference
also focused on the Student to Young Professional interation – a central
pillar our mission. Young engineer Amed Aref providing both a strong
technical session as well as answering questions from students.

In total the conference welcomed participation from 120 students from a
variety of backgrounds and disciplines. These bottom-up initiatives do not
only provide a lot of students with the opportunity to gain knowledge, but
prove to give important experiences to the organisers as well.

For this reason, student-led initiatives are one of the projects the EAGE
Student Fund provides support for as they are a great opportunity to
develop new skills and network. As mentioned by the organisers at Suez
University: ”In the end, efforts like these are only made to deliver all
possible value to students and young professions, as they are the future of
the industrial world and the next brick in the EAGE Student Fund.”

We want to congratulate the student chapter on the successful conclusion of
the event!

9 January, 2020

Calling all EAGE student chapters! In March, the EAGE Student Fund will
support the organisation of the 2020 Online Geo-quiz. Secure your
seat in the science based quiz to have the opportunity to win three travel
grants to 82^nd EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition in Amsterdam for
your student’s chapter. If your SC is interested in participating in the
challenge, make sure it is registered by 28 February as an active student
chapter for 2020.

For those unfamiliar with the concept: The Online Geo-Quiz is a fast-paced,
knowledge-based quiz where you have the opportunity to answer all
questions with your team, and competing to be one of the top 3 Student
Chapter winners. As questions cover a wide range of earth science topics,
working together with peers from a variety of backgrounds will be key.

The three highest-scoring teams will receive financial support from the ESF
to send three chapter representatives to attend the 82nd EAGE Annual
Conference and Exhibition, which will take place from 8-11 June 2020 in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Moreover, the winning teams will take part in
the onsite Global Geo-Quiz and compete against more than 50 university /
student teams competing for becoming a global winner.

The invitation to participate in the Online Geo-Quiz will be sent on 10
March to all EAGE student chapters which renewed their involvement for
2020.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact rgz@eage.org before you start the quiz!

Remember to work together and may the best student chapters win!

2 January 2020,

Happy new year!

This year will be a year full of activities for our students to help them
bridge the gap between their studies and career. Similar to previous years,
The EAGE Student Fund will play a central role in facilitating student
engagement. Here’s a couple of ways on how the ESF can help you with
your new year’s resolutions.

Attend an international conference

There are several ways for you to attend one of EAGE’s conferences with
the support of the EAGE Student Fund. Winners of our EAGE Geo-Quiz will
have an opportunity to participate in our Annual Conference & Exhibition
and Near Surface Conference. Teams participating in the final round of the
Laurie Dake Challenge will also have the opportunity to present work at the
EAGE Annual Conference in June.

Last but not least, there’s support for students keen to attend the EAGE 2020
conference as a presenter.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to start the new year. Not only do you help the
community around you with your service, it also allows you to meet new
people and learn about yourself, and gain new skills.

Through the EAGE Student Fund, there are several ways how you can
volunteer. Are you currently a student? Help to start of develop your
student chapter this year! Already part of the workforce? In that case, you
may want to look into becoming an EAGE student lecture tour instructor.

Gain a new skill

Is strengthening or acquiring new skills one of your new years resolutions?
The ESF may be able to help to develop teamwork, international awareness,
leadership and public speaking skills through student chapter activities,
conference attendance and our challenges.

Support a (new) charity

Last but not least, January is a great time to think about which charities to
support. Ever considered giving back to the EAGE Student Community? In
that case, you may want to consider the ESF for your annual giving. You can
make a donation online, or contact us to discuss your donation.

24 December, 2019

Happy holidays!

2019 is coming to an end. The EAGE Student Fund looks back at a wide
variety of projects which came through fruition with support from the
Fund. With this final post of the year, we look back at our favourite
highlights of the last year.

Student Chapter engagement

Our student chapters are at the centre of our work, and we are proud to see
what the many chapters have accomplished. Over the years, the number of
student chapters has not only grown – we also see stronger engagement
with the student chapters already established. Some examples of this are
field trips, the Geophysics Week organized by UFBA and company visit,
organized by the Bergakademie Freiberg.

At the end of 2019 we see student chapter engagement across the globe with
many of the chapters organising their own activities and projects. The EAGE
Student Fund is proud to be able to facilitate this cooperation.

In addition to the strong presence of previously existing student chapters,
we’ve seen the creation of some very promising new groups, such as the
one at Curtin University in Australia and RWTH Aachen in Germany.

This year was an AGH Cracow year

Speaking of Student Chapters… next time you’re in Cracow, know you are
close to some bright minds in geoscience!

This year the AGH Cracow EAGE Student Chapter excelled in their activities.
Not only we they declared the best Student Chapter of the year in
recognition of their work and activities, but one of their teams also won the
global Geo Quiz at the EAGE Annual in London. Well done AGH Cracow!

Student Lecture Tours

With the Fund, we have been able to bring students from a large variety of
countries new insights through our Student Lectures. With courses in the
Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Europe and Russia we provided
hundreds of students with new knowledge.

For some of the deliveries it had been a long time since the last delivery of a
student lecture tour. For instance, we were happy to bring the project back
to Russia for the first time in 8 years.

The Laurie Dake Challenge

The Laurie Dake Challenge is always a great project to report on and one of
the flagship events the EAGE Student Fund supports. Starting in October
each year, the challenge brings together student teams from around the
globe – accumulating in an exciting final round during the EAGE
Annual Conference and Exhibition.

This year, the six exceptional teams making it to the final came from four
different continents, showing diversity and academic excellence in
geoscience can be found around the globe. At the end of the day, it was the
team from IFP School from Paris, France, which won this year’s
competition.

Initial interest in the 2020 round of the challenge has been high, with over
45 student teams signing up for the competition!

IGSC 2019 and the Geo Quiz

In June, the ESF helped to make the 8th International Geoscience Students
Conference (IGSC) happen in Uppsala, Sweden! We were happy to partner
with the local organising students in helping them bring the conference
possible. The students from the university were able to deliver a strong
conference with an international and engaged student audience.

In addition to this, the ESF brought the EAGE Geo Quiz to Sweden for the
very first time, giving team of students a chance to attend the EAGE Near
Surface Conference in the Hague, the Netherlands.

With the next IGSC taking place in Aachen in July 2020, we’re looking
forward to see how the student event continues to develop.

18 December, 2019

The mission of the EAGE Student Fund goes hand in hand with EAGE’s
education offering. With the help of our instructors, the association
supports lifelong learning across disciplines. Many of EAGE’s instructors
also support the EAGE Student Fund through donating or volunteering for
our activities. For the ESF@10 series, we interviewed Dr. Ian Jones, long-
term EAGE member, short course instructor and supporter of the ESF.

Ian works in Chertsey, UK at ION Geophysical as a geophysical advisor.
His work relates primarily to migration and velocity model building, but he
is also involved as a teacher at ION as well as the wider geoscience
community. In the latter position, Ian is also delivering many short courses
for EAGE, both supporting the community and the EAGE Student Fund with
his work and contributions. Ian has been a member of EAGE since 1984 and
was the recipient of the 2018 EAGE honorary life membership.

You know EAGE and its activities through and through. Why is the
mission of the EAGE Student Fund important today?

In higher education today, the costs of study and associated cost-of-living
are commonly very high, to the extent that some students might be
discouraged from undertaking university studies. Bursaries and travels
grants can make a significant difference to an individual and live up to
their potential. Consequently, from the viewpoint of our professional
society – the EAGE – providing resources and opportunities to encourage
students to enter our profession and facilitate ongoing career development, is vital.

What kind of challenges do you see for potential students interested in
earth sciences?

As already noted, the costs associated with studying, whether that be in
committing to a course in the first place or in attending EAGE events during
study, can be prohibitive. Some may be lucky enough to draw on the
support from relatives or, more likely, that a form of student loan is
available. Either route can make students feel discouraged at the thought of
accruing significant debts. EAGE supported bursaries and travel grants help
mitigate some of these concerns in a very real way.

At the same time, for any organisation such as the EAGE there is always
pressure to keep the membership subscription dues to a minimum. This,
plus the tendency to focus on immediate needs may cause investments in
the student community may be overlooked. Hence, spreading the load of
fund-raising for the next generation is a prudent strategy, whether that be
in encouraging individuals to donate, adding a small surcharge to the
general membership fee, or in soliciting donations from companies. Once
such funds are secured, the EAGE will be in the position to continue to
deploy the relevant resources to the benefit of existing and future students.

In addition to the growing costs of academic studies, what are the
challenges facing students in geoscience and engineering today? How
can the Fund help?

Perhaps the largest issue looming on the horizon for geoscientists today is
the bad press given to anyone associated with the hydrocarbon industry. As
an industry, we have been abysmally lacking and woefully inadequate in
demonstrating and highlighting the positive contribution that our work
makes to society worldwide – access to energy, heating, lighting, transport or
more subtle contributions via advances in chemical engineering and
medicine. Instead, rather than being seen as a valuable contributor to
society, we are often vilified.

As earth scientists we know de-carbonization is necessary, and our industry
is strongly supporting and developing alternative energy solutions. In the
meantime however, it is counter-productive to denigrate the contribution of
our industry to society. Through the EAGE Student Fund there are
opportunities to spread a message of more positive, accurate and
constructive information – to highlight the good our industry does and to
encourage participation within it. By working together rather than pitting
groups against each other we can make the strongest advances.

Thank you very much for these insights! To conclude: why do you think
people or organizations should contribute to the EAGE Student Fund
today?

An investment in education is an investment in the future. Such a focus
secures not only our own wellbeing, but also that of the next generation. As
mentioned, students and the industry face challenges which we need to
tackle. In the area of geosciences and geotechnical engineering, the EAGE
Student Fund offers such a mechanism to achieve this.

Dr. Ian Jones teaches EAGE Education Tour 13: Velocities, Imaging, and
Waveform Inversion – The Evolution of Characterizing the Earth’s
Subsurface. Learn more about his short course. In addition, he
presents and chairs at a variety of sessions at EAGE conferences.

6 Dec, 2019

The EAGE Federal University of Bahia Student chapter recently organized
the tenth Geophysics’ Week at their university, bringing together students,
professionals and academics. During the event in Brazil, participants to the
meeting had a chance to share their latest findings. With the support of the
EAGE Student Fund, the student chapter representatives delivered an
engaging event with wide attendance.

The student-led Week of Geophysics welcomed 19 lecturers related to
geosciences. These lectures were complimented with short courses and
breakout sessions, attracting a variety of talks on education and career
development in the region.

In addition to deliveries by speakers, the week also featured the round table
with the theme “The Necessary Evolution of the UFBA Geophysics Course
Curriculum”, which is a double question and answer game with themes
related to geophysics and geology and the future of geoscience research.

Looking back at the meeting, the students look back at a great experience.
The event surpassed the expectation of 60 participants and obtained a total
of 82 participants, which, together with the high participation rate in the
short courses corroborated to give the group the feeling of accomplishment.

ESF support for your student projects

Are you involved in an EAGE Student Chapter? Support for your projects may be available. Make sure you are familiar with the opportunities provided through the EAGE Student Fund to help you make your project lives up to its maximum potential.

28 November, 2019

Did you know the EAGE Student Fund relies on the support of the EAGE community, individual donators and corporate support to make our student support possible? You can support our mission today as well! Here are five reasons why you should consider supporting the EAGE Student Fund.

#1 – help to empower students worldwide

The EAGE Student Fund is active globally. In principle, every geoscience or
engineering student has the opportunity to participate in the activities
financed through the ESF. With the ESF operating from the Netherlands we
are traditionally strong in Europe but since the inception of the fund have
expanded to a large variety of universities, countries, and students.

The EAGE student fund is has supported students from over 65 different
countries in 2019.

#2 – support skills development

The EAGE Student Fund tries to complement academic studies with training
and experiences needed to make the successful transition from students’
academic career to a paid position. Through our grants programmes,
challenges and competitions, we stimulate students to work together in
multidisciplinary teams and provide them with an international platform.

Learn about our Laurie Dake Challenge, Geo Quiz and membership grants.

#3 – student lecture programmes

Through our student lecture programme we bring specialised knowledge to
a series of universities. Student Lecture Tours take place around the year,
with student representatives for EAGE Student Chapters working togehter
to facilitate the lecture at their universities.

In 2020, we are supporting student lectures in the Asia Pacific, Europe,
Latin America and Middle East regions.

#4 – encourage student initiatives

We believe students are the key to their own success. For that reason, in
addition to opening doors and opportunities for students through the Fund
we also actively stimulate grassroots up activities. Student initiatives like
student chapter field trips, student conferences and company visits are
therefore supported through the EAGE.

In the last year, initiatives included the organisation of IGSC’7 in Uppsala
Sweden, company visits in Italy and field work in Austria

#5 – connect students to the global community

Through our travel grants, networking and student chapter competition we
bring students from around the world together at key meetings, allowing
them to present and provide feedback on their research. In addition to
meeting internationals peers, the activities at the conferences also provide
students the opportunity to connect to (young) professionals to prepare
them for the job market.

In 2020, the ESF will be facilitating students to participate in key EAGE
conferences in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam and Belgrade.

Support the EAGE Student Fund

As Benjamin Franklin allegedly put it: ”an investment in education
pays the best interest”. After all, supporting earth science students today
enables the geoscience leaders of tomorrow. For that reason, please
consider including the EAGE Student Fund in your end of year giving this
year.

Donate now.