In May 2026 at the JpGU-AGU joint annual meeting, EGU Executive Director, Dr Philippe Courtial was awarded the JpGU International Contribution Award, for outstanding contributions to the international geoscience community. This award, created in 2024, honours those individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the development of co-operative relations between the Japanese Earth and planetary science community and other countries or international organizations, through management and public relations activities.

In his commendation, Philippe Courtial was recognised specifically for his outstanding, and continuing efforts to develop and strengthen the EGU-JpGU international partnership, something that is a key strategic priority of EGU as we work on ways to build and develop supportive relationships with our organisational siblings and friends around the world. Philippe commented on the award, "Receiving this award reminds me that geoscience thrives on diversity and collaboration. Today, science is confronted with many challenges, such as visa restrictions, data-sharing limitations and geo-political tensions. Strengthening the scientific exchanges that transcend borders is of even greater significance in today's world."

Beyond receiving the Award, EGU volunteers and staff enthusiastically participated in a range of activities at the meeting, from speaking in a Great Debate: International Perspectives on the Future Geosciences-Funding Policies and Research Directions discussing the key way that international organisations can support governments in designing an inclusive and supportive research landscape for the next generation, to discussing the role of scholarly publishing in an age of Generative AI, how the global scientific community can safeguard the independence, integrity, and freedom of science, and coming together to ensure new, robust strategies to protect Diversity, Equity/Equality and Inclusion in the geosciences.
 

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is Europe’s premier geosciences union, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the Earth, planetary, and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, worldwide. It is a non-profit interdisciplinary learned association of scientists founded in 2002 with headquarters in Munich, Germany. The EGU publishes a number of diverse scientific journals that use an innovative open access format and organises topical meetings plus education and outreach activities. Its annual General Assembly is the largest and most prominent European geosciences event, attracting more than 20,000 scientists from all over the world. The meeting’s sessions cover a wide range of topics, including volcanology, planetary exploration, the Earth’s internal structure and atmosphere, climate, energy, and resources.

• JpGU International Contribution Award 2026