The Mineral Resources Authority (MRA), in partnership with UPNG’s Earth Sciences Division and UNITECH Mining Engineering Department, organized the Geoscience, Exploration and Extraction (GEE) 2022 Conference, which was held at APEC Haus, Port Moresby.
On 8 June 2023, Mr Gideon Maim, representative of the MRA, presented ten copies of the Conference Proceedings to the UPNG Earth Sciences Division, and the Michael Somare Library. The conference proceedings were compiled, edited, and printed for distribution to sponsors, authors, and partners.
The Executive Dean of the School of Natural and Physical Sciences, Professor Simon Saulei, received the Conference Proceedings in the presence of the Divisional staff and students, and thanked MRA under the leadership of the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Jerry Garry, for the donation and for meaningfully engaging with the Earth Sciences Division.
Five copies of the Conference Proceedings were also delivered to Mr. Lote Lisania at the Michael Somare Library for use by the general student body and the public. Individual copies were also given to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Frank Griffin, who was one of the keynote speakers during the 2022 GEE Conference.
Associate Professor Espi also thanked the MRA for being a Strategic Partner and further noted that the Conference Proceedings will be used by both staff and students. He also acknowledged MRA for involving the Earth Sciences Division as one of the three organizers of the GEE 2022 Conference, for engaging students as volunteers, and most importantly, the invaluable assistance provided by the MRA, under the leadership of Mr. Jerry Garry, in 2022 and 2023. This includes the sponsorship of 2022 Geoscience Open Day, and the donation of virtual facility for video-conference, and also, the sponsorship of two final year students and the purchasing of a field vehicle in 2023.
Moreover, the GEE 2022 Conference provided an excellent opportunity for Papua New Guinean geologists and geoscientists, including postgraduate students, to present findings of their research and work activities.
There were more than 300 participants and the speakers were from the Asia-Pacific Region, including PNG, Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, and the UK. It was an important international gathering of industry professionals, researchers, academics, students, and assorted players in the extractive sector.
The second GEE Conference will be held in 2-3 years, and staff and students were encouraged to undertake more research so that they could share their outcomes to a wider geoscience community.