From the Geological Society:
The number of students choosing to study geological or Earth sciences at
A-level and university is at a record low, and perhaps indicative of a
problem in the perception of geoscience in our wider society.
The climate is changing, both in the UK and globally, and with it comes a
collective call for change to more sustainable energy, food sources,
travel and trade, as well as for changes in our manufacturing industries
and natural resource consumption.
Geoscience is integral to combatting climate change and in meeting the
Sustainable Development Goals. Our challenge is now to change the
narrative in the public eye, the media and schools to ensure that there
are future generations of geoscientists who will play valuable roles
within our society.
This free-to-attend virtual summit will delve into the detail of the
public perception of geoscience, as well as in the media, education and
business. It will bring together a mix of professionals, entrepreneurs,
teachers and lecturers, public speakers and civil servants in a series
of panel sessions that will take your questions and debate the
statements and opinions you raise over the coming weeks.
The outputs from this summit will be taken into a more focused Geology Student Enrolment Summit on 24 June, and from there a working group/committee with representation from across our society will be formed. This is an opportunity to engage with this challenge - geoscience is quite literally our past, present and future.