IUGS White Paper on Geoscience Education

Open Consultation Draft

Strengthening geoscience education for a changing world

The IUGS White Paper on Geoscience Education is a strategic initiative developed by the IUGS Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE) in collaboration with educators, researchers, professional organisations, and practitioners from the global geoscience education community.

The document examines the current landscape of geoscience education worldwide, drawing on peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, international consultation, and institutional experience. It explores the importance of geoscience literacy in addressing global challenges such as climate change, natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental resilience, while identifying structural barriers and opportunities for strengthening education systems across diverse contexts.

Following an initial development and review process, the current draft is now open for global stakeholder consultation. This consultation aims to broaden participation, incorporate regional perspectives, and further strengthen the evidence base, educational relevance, and practical value of the final document.

What is the White Paper?

The White Paper is a strategic, policy-oriented, and evolving document designed to support discussion and collaboration among:

• education authorities;
• universities and research institutions;
• professional societies;
• geoscience organisations;
• educators and practitioners.

It is intended to identify shared challenges, highlight effective approaches, and support context-specific action providing an international reference point to support cooperation while recognising that implementation depends on local and national contexts.

The White Paper is not:

• a global curriculum;
• a prescriptive policy framework for all countries;
• a replacement for national education strategies;
• a final position statement.

Why this consultation?

The purpose of this consultation is to gather perspectives from the global geoscience education community and strengthen the relevance, clarity, and usefulness of the final document.

We welcome feedback on:

• the evidence base and global perspectives presented;
• regional challenges and opportunities;
• equity, diversity, inclusion, geoethics, and Indigenous knowledge considerations;
• institutional responses and implementation pathways;
• strategic priorities for strengthening geoscience education.

Community input will help refine the document before final revision and submission for publication.

Consultation Timeline

Open consultation: June–August 2026

Open Discussion: GeoSciEd X (Adelaide, Australia August 2026).

Consultation closes: 31 August 2026

Following the consultation period, the revised White Paper will be prepared for submission for peer-reviewed publication in the Episodes Journal.

Summary

Geoscience knowledge is increasingly important for addressing global challenges including climate change, natural hazards, water security, critical minerals, environmental sustainability, and resilient communities.

However, geoscience education remains unevenly integrated across education systems worldwide. Challenges include limited curricular visibility, gaps in teacher preparation, fragmented initiatives, and weak connections between geoscience education and broader policy discussions.

The IUGS White Paper on Geoscience Education has been developed by the IUGS Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE) to provide a strategic reference for strengthening geoscience education internationally through evidence, collaboration, and shared experience.

The draft White Paper is now open for global consultation ahead of GeoSciEd X 2026.

GeoSciEd X Integration

The White Paper will be discussed during GeoSciEd X 2026 in Adelaide, Australia, as part of the Big Ideas Day programme.

This session will provide an opportunity for participants to:

• discuss the challenges identified;
• provide feedback on strategic directions;
• contribute perspectives from different regions and education systems.

How to provide feedback

The consultation is open to educators, researchers, professionals, organisations, and all stakeholders interested in the future of geoscience education.

Feedback can be submitted through the online consultation form. All submissions will be reviewed by the COGE White Paper Editorial Team and considered during the next revision cycle prior to its submission to Episodes.

Consultation Materials

Governance and status

This document is an open consultation draft developed under the auspices of the IUGS Commission on Geoscience Education (COGE).

It does not represent a final position of IUGS or COGE and remains subject to revision following stakeholder input received during the consultation process.