Thorough planning ensures successful conference

Team of young geophysicists organises international conference

For many scientists, organising conferences or network meetings is part of their job. But undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students are rarely confronted with such a task. Despite the lack of routine, doctoral candidate Hannah Treppke and students Jan Schwarte and Moritz Wendel from the Institute of Geophysics took up the challenge and organised the Geophysical Action Programme (GAP) 2024 conference. From 30 May to 2 June, with the help of other participants, they attracted 120 geophysics students from Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark to Münster. "GAP brings together students of geophysics and related disciplines in different cities in Germany and Europe every year," explains Jan Schwarte.

Motivation and creativity were high, and contacts in the world of geophysics helped. However, the team of three quickly realised that the planning was not going to be an easy process. "We had no experience of organising an event of this scale, and the fundraising, legal and bureaucratic details proved particularly difficult," says Hannah Treppke. They had to organise catering and accommodation, design a website, liaise with 23 companies, exhibitors and speakers, and plan eight excursions.

These excursions were the centrepiece of the conference. "They provided insights into regional geoscientific exhibitions and geophysical companies. The students were also able to network, which they enjoyed," comments Moritz Wendel. After the introductory day at the Institute of Geophysics, the programme included visits to the University of Münster’s Geomuseum and the local planetarium. Other groups headed to the Nightingale Mine in Witten or to Bremerhaven to visit the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Klimahaus.

Another aim of the GAP is to provide career guidance. In addition to the Institute of Geophysics and its study and research opportunities, the German Geophysical Society (DGG) was also represented at the conference. Sponsors and potential employers, such as engineering and surveying firms, and ordnance recovery and geotechnical development companies, were also represented. Interested in starting a business? The programme also provided students with start-up information. "Geophysics is highly relevant in times of energy transition and climate change. For example, students from the University of Münster have founded a start-up company for drone-based geophysical surveying," comments Hannah Treppke.

A particular challenge for the organising team was to balance the months of preparation with the demands of university life. Hannah Treppke is a doctoral candidate in applied geophysics, where she uses helicopters and drones to conduct electromagnetic surveys for mineral resources. Jan Schwarte is working on his bachelor’s thesis on measurements in Namibia, and Moritz Wendel is studying for a master’s degree with a focus on archaeogeophysics. Despite the effort, the three organisers agree that it was worth it. "We received great feedback, especially about the varied programme and the facilities," states Moritz Wendel. Jan Schwarte concludes that they learned a lot, grew together as a team and experienced the importance of networking with each other and with companies.

This article is from the University newspaper wissen