Earth Science Education at a Crossroad – Headed Toward an Irreversible Decline or Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future?

Jermyn, Courtney; Corcimaru, Victoria; Mulder, Eduardo de

doi:10.1007/s12594-023-2280-6

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Decreasing student numbers could be related to a decrease in work positions, foreign investors, the legal situation in Mongolia and misunderstandings of local people about negligent mining and geoscience. Similar trends have been observed in Australia [8], the United Kingdom and Europe [9][10][11] as well as the United States [12]. The reasons for this are likely variable and complex.…”

Section: Women At the Mongolian University Of Science And Technologysupporting

confidence: 71%

A Comparative Study of Gender Disparities in Geoscience and Mining in Mongolia

Ochir,

Baatar,

Sanjaa

et al. 2023

Geosciences

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Mongolian women enjoy equal rights and actively participate in various sectors of the national economy, including the mineral and mining industry. The Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST), the largest university in Mongolia, plays a crucial role in preparing engineers for the Mongolian industry. Within MUST, the School of Geology and Mining Engineering (SGME) stands out as one of the largest schools, boasting a dedicated team of 136 staff members. Impressively, 92 of these staff members are female, constituting a remarkable 67.65% of the total staff. The directorial board of SGME, consisting of 12 members, also demonstrates a noteworthy level of gender diversity, with 5 of its members being female. This represents a proportion of 41.67% and highlights the inclusion of women in decision-making positions. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Geology and Hydrogeology department, one of the five departments within the School, is led by a capable female leader. However, despite the encouraging representation of women among staff and in leadership roles, there is a noticeable disparity in the enrollment and graduation rates of students at SGME. Currently, these rates stand at only about 20–24 percent, indicating the need for further efforts to encourage and support female students in pursuing geology and mining engineering studies. Outside of academia, within the mining industry, the Oyu Tolgoi large-scale mine, which in 2022 employed 20,328 workers, faces a significant gender imbalance. Out of this workforce, only 3577 are women, comprising a mere 18% of the total employees, while the remaining 82% are men. Among the 2997 total employees in the open pit mine, 737 women are employed in various roles, including 66 engineers and technicians, with the remaining 671 in other positions. In the newly opened underground mine, the total number of women employees stands at 2840, including 248 engineers and technicians and 2592 in other roles. Furthermore, on the Board of Directors, there are only 2 women out of a total of 23 managers, and a mere 104 women hold positions as senior staff and superintendents. A comparative analysis between Asia and other global regions reveals that female employment in Mongolia’s mining sector in general, at 18%, closely aligns with Oceania’s rates (17%) and surpasses those of both the broader Asian region (13%) and South America (11%). Addressing these statistical imbalances is crucial to improving gender equality in geoscience and mining. Historically, the mining industry has been male-dominated, but women-led professional geoscience and mining organizations in Mongolia play a vital role in promoting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in these industries. Recognizing the significance of gender diversity, these organizations strive to increase the representation of women in leadership positions. Women in leadership bring unique perspectives that contribute to well-rounded decision-making processes within organizations. By acknowledging the importance of gender dynamics, promoting inclusivity, and supporting the professional growth of Mongolian women in geoscience and mining, the overall development and sustainability of these sectors in the country will be greatly enhanced.

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Section: Women At the Mongolian University Of Science And Technologysupporting

confidence: 71%

A Comparative Study of Gender Disparities in Geoscience and Mining in Mongolia

Ochir,

Baatar,

Sanjaa

et al. 2023

Geosciences

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“…The underlying drivers of the apparent "collapse" or "crisis" are complex and much debated, but the diminishing popular appeal of the traditional vocational heartlands of the hydrocarbon and mining industries looms large in most commentaries (Geological Society of London/University Geoscience UK, 2019; Australian Geosciences Council, 2022). Jermyn et al (2023), for example, highlight ". .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three Horizons for Future Geoscience

Stewart,

Capello,

Mouri

et al. 2023

Earth Sci. Syst. Soc.

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Geoscience, along with other scientific disciplines, is being increasingly challenged on how it can best confront key global challenges, such as climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, human conflict and migration, and persistent poverty. But its traditional association with exploitation of the planet’s natural resources for energy and materials links it with contemporary concerns around unsustainable human practices, arguably fueling a growing disenchantment that is most evident in declining enrollment in university geoscience courses in many countries. Therefore, a fresh re-framing of the geoscience’s relationship to society would seem to be urgently needed. In response to this need, we introduce the “Three Horizons” concept for visualizing paradigm change in complex systems as a tool to explore how the future global geoscientific mission might be re-imagined. Using this conceptual framework, we consider three parallel pathways – “business as usual” (horizon 1), “entrepreneurial” (horizon 2) and “visionary” (horizon 3)—that offer alternative narrative trajectories for how geoscience and geoscientists might serve society’s grand challenges.

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Reimagining Geoscience Education for Sustainability

Metzger

2024

Earth Sci. Syst. Soc.

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Geoscience is crucial for addressing sustainability challenges related to climate change, the energy transition, water resources management, and natural hazards. However, the capacity of the geosciences to enable sustainable societies is limited by several weaknesses in geoscience education. This paper supplies a concise review of Earth science education around the world and highlights resources and strategies for reshaping it to better support sustainability initiatives and attract more students to geoscience degree programmes and careers. The poor quality of Earth science education in schools around the world reverberates throughout society to perpetuate low levels of awareness of geoscience and misperceptions about its relevance and problem-solving potential. University geoscience programmes, which typically focus on geoscientific content and technical skills, must broaden to encompass the social and ethical dimensions of sustainability and to foster communication skills that enable interdisciplinary, cross-sector collaboration. Efforts to recruit future geoscientists must diversify to highlight a wide range of sustainability-related career paths and to attract people who bring perspectives from different backgrounds, cultures, gender identities, and life experiences. Many of these challenges have persisted for decades, but connecting geoscience education to wider conversations around sustainability, social justice, diversity and inclusion, and ethics is providing a new narrative for Earth science education that better aligns with evolving societal needs and the interests of today’s young people. This piece aims to provide a point of entry into the multifaceted literature around geoscience education and its importance to sustainability. It also reflects on how critical examination of the history, culture, and ethical responsibilities of the geosciences underscores the urgent need to reinvent Earth science education as an essential tool for addressing obstacles to sustainability arising from human-Earth interactions.

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Earth Science Education at a Crossroad – Headed Toward an Irreversible Decline or Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future?

Cited by 3 publications

References 10 publications

A Comparative Study of Gender Disparities in Geoscience and Mining in Mongolia

A Comparative Study of Gender Disparities in Geoscience and Mining in Mongolia

Three Horizons for Future Geoscience

Reimagining Geoscience Education for Sustainability

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