Marit van Zalinge – Panel session – How can your experience help better prepare the next generation

maritvanzalinge@gmail.com

How can we make sure that all your insights and knowledge around sustainable exploration and ESG reach the next generations? Besides learning the conventional geoscientific skills, what are the other crucial skills students should develop before joining the employment arena? We are looking for your stories, first-hand experiences and ideas to help create relevant hands-on training material for students and early-career people around the world, so that they are more prepared to face the environmental, social and political challenges related to the industry.

A well-known education format is role-play simulation activities, during which students assume different roles1 (e.g. business owners, geologist, geo-engineers, ecologists, local communities). Role-play simulation exercises are most powerful when realistic real-life scenarios are simulated involving stakeholders with differing interests. By researching and assuming different roles, students can have a more complete and nuanced perspective on decision-making processes. In addition, it also allows them to improve their dialogue, listening and negotiation skills. Creating such ready-to-go education modules, which supplement the existing curricula, will be an important step to better prepare the next generation to ensure sustainable and responsible exploration.

Have you experienced scenarios that would make an excellent case study? Or do you have other ideas for education activities that could help equip future geoscientists with a more holistic skillset? Feel free to contact Marit directly to share your ideas.

[1] https://scienceimpact.mit.edu/role-play-simulations

Biography

After Marit finished a BHP Billiton funded PhD project at the University of Bristol, she transferred into geosciences education. Currently she is an Earth Sciences lecturer at the Swiss department of Pepperdine University. An enthusiast of experience-based and hands-on learning, Marit is always trying to develop new educational materials with the aim of better equipping students to face the global sustainability challenges.