From 3 to 8 May, our team headed to Vienna to connect with the global geoscience community at the 2026 EGU General Assembly, the largest and most prominent geoscience conference in Europe.
Over the course of the week, we were proud to represent the breadth of the Society's work across a range of themes; education, scientific publishing, public engagement, the intersection between science and policy, and more.
The European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly is an annual event that brings together tens of thousands of people from around the world to discuss ideas, research, and share in their passion for Earth and planetary sciences.
The General Assembly (GA) offers a valuable space to learn, gather insights, connect with new people and share expertise from across the Society’s diverse programs of work.
After a sunny week immersed in geoscience, we are back with a range of fresh ideas collected from the sessions we convened and discussions we were part of.
The future of geoscience education
Variability in undergraduate enrolments on geoscience courses around the world is placing uncertainty at the centre of conversations about the subject’s future. A range of factors, including common misconceptions, limited visibility and accessibility and a general lack of awareness of geoscience's relevance to global challenge are some of the contributing factors.
Dr Natasha Stephen (Director of Science and Engagement) was invited by the EGU President to join the panel for 'Reimagining Geoscience Education: Engaging with the younger generations', where we shared our experience of 'This is Geoscience', a campaign designed to reshape public perceptions and engage young people with relatable careers advice and high-quality resources.
Our findings on how geoscience is perceived aligned with a range of international panellists: the subject is often seen as ‘dirty’, poorly paid and limited to fieldwork. Global collaboration was highlighted as essential to tackle these misconceptions and engage younger generations.
There was strong support expressed for teachers and educators, who are often overworked and under-resourced yet provide a vital pipeline into the geosciences. Our ‘Geoscience for the Future’ resource received a special mention as a highly transferable tool for teachers and educators, available in more than 20 languages.
Explore our Education work
The intersection between geoscience and policy
The programme at EGU26 included a cross-cutting thematic focus on communicating scientific evidence to inform policymaking and exploring how geoscience can directly support decision-making on climate, energy and environmental issues. It also sought to consider the wider societal relevance of research across EGU’s thematic divisions, such as Soil System Sciences, Natural Hazards, and Climate: Past, Present & Future.
Other elements focused on interdisciplinary activities, such as bridging the science-policy interface, measuring and valuing the impact of this work, the growing role of science in climate and environmental litigation, and communicating science to a wide range of audiences.
One of the strengths of the GA was its diverse range of session formats. Detailed subject-specific presentations and discussions can take place alongside broader Union Symposia and Great Debates, giving both experts and the wider community a platform to share perspective and raise questions and concerns on current or contentious issues.
Other elements focused on interdisciplinary activities, such as bridging the science-policy interface, measuring and valuing the impact of this work, the growing role of science in climate and environmental litigation, and communicating science to a wide range of audiences.
One of the strengths of the GA was its diverse range of session formats. Detailed subject-specific presentations and discussions can take place alongside broader Union Symposia and Great Debates, giving both experts and the wider community a platform to share perspective and raise questions and concerns on current or contentious issues.
Expert panels we were involved in supported researchers in developing their ability to communicate their research to assist policymakers. This included an overview of instruments and initiatives for policy engagement, as well as practical skills such as drafting policy briefs and pitching research to a policymaker.
The Society’s Policy Team provided input across the programme, facilitating Union Symposia on ‘Evidence-based policymaking in an era of increasing climate hazards and risks’ and 'Greennovation”: how can scientists support the green transition’.
Dr Megan O’Donnell (Head of Policy and Communications) and Dr Tom Harvey (Science and Funding Officer) also contributed to discussions on opportunities for geoscientists to achieve impact across a broad spectrum of activities and further strengthen the relevance of their research outside of the scientific community.
Learn more about our Policy workThe importance of joy in science communication
The role of science communication is becoming increasingly important to researchers and communication professionals alike. This was particularly visible at EGU26, where the session 'Science and Society: Science Communication Practice, Research, and Reflection' received a record number of abstract submissions. Society staff (Ashley Akingbade, Dr Tom Harvey, Dr Megan O’Donnell) co-convened this session alongside members of the EGU Outreach Committee for the first time, exploring a variety of approaches, research and reflections on science communication efforts across the geoscience community.
A theme we were particularly enthusiastic about bringing to the meeting was the value of sparking joy and fostering an emotional connection as a way of getting people to care about our planet and complex scientific subjects. We contributed our own approaches and experiences through activities such as family fun days, Earth Science Week and festival appearances, highlighting how cultivating positive, memorable experiences related to geoscience can be a powerful and sensitive approach to learning and engagement. Importantly, it can encourage genuine curiosity, rather than an expectation to retain complicated details.
The session also highlighted the value of creating spaces where the community can share insights, ideas and case studies to build and strengthen science communication efforts. Good practice in this area is strengthened collaboratively, and that spirit was seen throughout the session.
Explore our Outreach work
It was also wonderful to have so many people visit us at our booth, where Bethan Littley (Senior Journal Development Editor) and Catherine Rawlinson (Commissioning Editor) were showcasing the many journal titles, Special Publications and key book series published by the Geological Society. It was great to meet so many authors and editors interested in our work and to hear about the fascinating research happening across the field.
Learn more about our PublicationsThank you to EGU for facilitating such an enriching and diverse event, and to everyone we had the pleasure of connecting with throughout the week. Until next time!