To raise public awareness and understanding of geoscience, and the professional activities of geoscientists, including the relevance of the science and profession in aiding policy and decision making concerning sustainability, wealth creation, environmental protection and conservation.
Terms of Reference
- to promote geoscience education at all levels
- to foster an effective public image for the science and profession by managing the Society's external relations activities, and co-ordinating these with other bodies within science in general and geoscience in particular
- to foster a dialogue with the public and other stakeholders on the place and role of geoscience in society
- to develop the Society's relationships with Parliament and Government
- to co-ordinate the Society's responses to government and other consultations
- to foster a mutually beneficial working relationship with the media
- to develop relationships with appropriate national and international learned and professional bodies
Structure
The Secretary, Foreign & External Affairs will chair the External Relations Committee. The Committee membership will consist of up to four members of Council plus six other Fellows of the Society to be agreed by the Committee and Council. The ERC may also co-opt as many additional members as it sees fit, to adjust disciplinary balance and to obtain additional expertise in science communication of all kinds.
The secretariat will be provided by the Science and Communications Officer (SCO), who is a member of the Geological Society's staff at Burlington House. The Executive Secretary and the Education & Training Officer will also attend meetings of the Committee.
Method of working
The External Relations Committee will meet no more than four times a year and may invite the attendance or advice of others as required. Two sub-committees report to the Committee: the GeoConservation Commission and the Education Committee.
In addition, the Committee may establish small working groups from time to time to address particular issues.
IGCP
Since 2004, ERC has taken on full responsibility from the Royal Society as the National Committee for the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP). This site now hosts a UK portal to IGCP.