On 24 and 25 October 2019, about 70 PanAfGeo partners from around 50 European and African countries gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Phase 1 closing meeting. The Ministers responsible for minerals in Tanzania and Kenya were the guests of honour. Attendees included some of the project’s main contributors: OAGS Executive Committee members, stakeholders and representatives of Geological Surveys in Africa and Europe and the European Commission. An overview of all the PanAfGeo Project activities performed under each work package was presented and was followed by a feedback session. A complete review of the three years of training was presented by each WP leader. The complete list of the PanAfGeo work packages are available here: www.panafgeo.eurogeosurveys.org/about The PanAfGeo Project: an overview (2016-2019) Results and impacts: PanAfGeo increased the technical competence of 1,074 trainees from 49 African countries (all except Burundi, Libya, Mauritius, Seychelles and Somalia). No other EU programme so far has ever had such a cross-continental geographical coverage, overcoming language (trainings in three languages: English, French, Portuguese), cultural and political barriers. The European Commission’s intention of increasing attention for more effective cooperation with Africa has therefore been fully met by PanAfGeo Phase 1, through its geoscience training programmes for officers of African Geological Surveys. The programme has clearly strengthened the partnership between EU and African countries in several areas, bringing substantial benefits to the societies in Africa and, indirectly, in Europe, through the establishment of stable institutional relations based on mutual trust and respect. The consideration of many African Ministers being present at various PanAfGeo events proves the impact generated at the highest decision making and political levels. The future – PanAfGeo Phase 2: Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement and the framework of possible work packages for PanAfGeo-2 were...

The Organising Committee and the European Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage (ProGEO) is pleased to invite you to take part in the Xth International ProGEO Symposium. The meeting is organised by the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME, the Geological Survey of Spain) and will take place in Segovia (Spain) from 8th to 11th of June 2020. This symposium is an international event open to scientists, students, educators, professionals, decision-makers and anyone involved in geoconservation. The symposium is organized in conjunction with several geoconservation organizations also hosting their meetings in Segovia during the same dates. These include: A Workshop of the IUCN WCPA Geoheritage Specialist Group (GSG),The 1st Workshop on Geoheritage of Volcanic Islands,The 4th Meeting of ProGEO’s Southwest Europe Regional Working Group,A meeting of the African Geoconservation Group of the EU-funded PanAfGeo project, andA meeting of the Geoherithage Commission of the Association of Iberoamerican Geological and Mining Surveys (ASGMI). The Symposium will provide the opportunity to discuss the new challenges and threats in global geoconservation. The knowledge and experience acquired within ProGEO during the last decades at national, European and global levels projects this scientific organization as the international leader in geoconservation. Recent developments include issues such as methodologies for the inventory of Geological Sites of Interest, geoconservation in natural protected areas, benefits and impact of rural development and geotourism in geoparks, legislation and management in a global conservation framework. The Symposium will promote communication and collaboration amongst the different stakeholders and actors in modern geoheritage conservation from all over the world present at the various joint meetings taking place at Segovia. Download the brochure of the congress for visualizing the important dates, the scientific programme and the necessary information about travel and accommodation in Segovia. For further information...

On February 20-21, 2020 the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is hosting the inaugural international conference Big data and machine learning in geosciences in Berlin, with kind support of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The conference will highlight these issues by giving a platform for outstanding experts in the field of big data and machine learning. Contributions from academia, governmental organizations and industry are highly appreciated. February 20will address big data and AI applications in a global perspective with keynotes from selected issues. Invited talks introduce the current state and describe future tracks of machine learning (ML) technologies for geospatial applications. The experts join for a moderated plenary discussion on “How AI is changing the game”. February 21will focus on specific applications of ML in geosciences with invited talks on mineral and petroleum exploration, groundwater and soil science, Earth data mining and geohazard assessment. The experts join for a moderated plenary discussion on “Challenges and opportunities in geosciences”. The main aim of the conference is to discuss challenges and opportunities in managing big data and natural resources in the light of global climate change and energy transition with experts, scientists, governmental organizations and industry. Detailed information is provided by the attached circular as well as by BGR´s website. Please click the link for more details about the conference and the online registration: https://www.bgr.bund.de/big_data&ML. The participation to the conference is free of charge. Download the leaflet with the full description of the conference...