A cordial welcome to Sharing Geoscience Online

The EGU President, Executive Secretary and Programme Committee Chair, as well as the Managing Director of EGU’s conference partner, Copernicus.org, are pleased to welcome you to the largest-ever virtual geoscience meeting:

A personal message from the EGU President

I am enjoying a positive feeling while I am writing these words to open EGU2020 Sharing Geoscience Online #shareEGU20. In my opinion, a positive attitude is the best way to pay a tribute to the persons – including some colleagues and friends – who lost their lives due to COVID-19. It is in their memory that we are looking to the future and making an effort to transform this crisis into an opportunity.

Indeed, the pandemic is a formidable lesson to geoscientists to improve our understanding and management of global threats. It has been particularly significant to me to see the importance of open information to manage the current crisis: sharing data allows humanity to efficiently achieve scientific advances. Openness and transparency – concepts that have always been championed by the EGU – turned out to be essential ingredients.

However, I must say that I am missing a lot my colleagues, the students and all of you EGU members and fellow researchers. So as we go virtual, let’s not forget the great value and inspiration of a physical meeting. For certain activities, science needs the ability to read non-verbal language, face-to face-interactions and smiles. We need to be forward thinkers and adjust while developing new smart forms of networkingm without forgetting our past habits and values, to converge to a better world. Thank you for your attendance and your support, I can really feel it. Enjoy EGU 2020!

— Alberto Montanari, EGU President

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is the leading organisation for Earth, planetary and space science research in Europe. With our partner organisations worldwide, we foster fundamental geoscience research, alongside applied research that addresses key societal and environmental challenges. Our vision is to realise a sustainable and just future for humanity and for the planet. We publish a number of diverse scientific journals, which use an innovative open access format, and organise topical meetings, and education and outreach activities. Follow the EGU on Twitter and Facebook.

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