POLISH GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE’ S CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: Research on Abiotic Environment REA

1. POLISH GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE’ S CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE:Research on Abiotic EnvironmentREA PRESENTATION Katarzyna Jarmołowicz-Szulc PGI CoE Deputy Chief Co-ordinator Rea@pgi.gov.pl Sopot 24.02.2006

2. The Centre of Excellence - Research on Abiotic Environment (REA) – was created within the Polish Geological Institute’s organisational structure in 2002 to expand and strengthen the co-operative links in geoenvironmental sciences with national and foreign centres Centre of Excellence

3. CoE REA tasks • to co-ordinate studies carried out by individual specialists and/or groups active in different organisational units of the Institute aiming at development of modern tools for environment and hazard assessment, cost-effective rehabilitation methods for strongly polluted on- and off-shore sites;

4. Other fields of activity of the Centre include • A wide array of groundwater issues: - resources, - quality and sustainable management  Research on marine abiotic environment Geological studies related to natural hazards, floods, landslides and others .

5. Other fields of activity of the Centre • Global and regional climatic changes connected to the changes in landscape and environment (including palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment ) • Studies related to human induced hazards. • www.pgi.gov.pl/rea

6. Structure of the Centre of Excellence • Five main working groups subordinate to the Centre’s Chief co-ordinator and the Deputy chief co-ordinator

7. STAFF Chief co-ordinator – Prof. Krzysztof Jaworowski, PhD, DSc. Deputy chief co-ordinator – Dr. Katarzyna Jarmołowicz-Szulc , PhD, DSc. The Advisory Board consists of 20 scientists, both foreign members from EU states and Polish ones - from Polish scientific institutions and from Polish Geological Institute. Structure of the Centre of Excellence

8. Working groups • WP1 :Groundwater: sustainable management • WP2 :Marine abiotic environment • WP3: Geohazards • WP4: Human induced hazards • WP5: Global change: climate & environment • Working groups are under the leadership of the experienced Heads.

9. Participation of PGI’s Centre of Excellence in the EU Framework Programme 5 • In 2002 the project : • SUPPORT FOR THE INTEGRATION OF THEPolish Geological Institute’s Centre of Excellence: • Research on Abiotic EnvironmentIN THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA • Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (Accompanying Measures) • EVK1-CT-2002-80006 REA wassigned. • This project has been totally under the co-ordination of the PGI’ s Centre of Excellence.

10. Framework Programme 5Accompanying Measures • Duration: 3 years, prolonged • December 2002 - November 2005 • Budget - around 580 000 Euro • EC contribution : 450 000 Euro

11. The REA programme has been organised in seven Work Packages, five of which (WP1-WP5) represent the leading research themes of the five Working Groups of Centre of Excellence. The planned dissemination measures as well as the co-ordination are contained in next separate Work Packages (WP6-WP7). Project REA organisation

12. REA project • Objective – integration of PGI CoE in ERA • Realization tools: • - conferences (organised and participated in) • - workshops (organised and participated in ) • - training courses • - capacity building (training, invited EU lectures) • - twinnings and networks (national and international)

13. Project Realization • Conferences & workshops organised: • Rapid Transgressions into Semi-Enclosed Basins During the Late Glacial and Holocene – Gdańsk- Jastarnia, May 2003 • Geological Heritage Concept, Conservation and Protection Policy in Central Europe – Cracow, October 2003 • International Conference on Landslides - Risks caused by the Geodynamic Phenomena in Europe – Wysowa, May 2004

14. 2004

15. Project Realization • WS - Relative Sea Level Changes – from subsiding to uplifting coasts – Gdańsk, June 2005 • CF – The Central European and European Union Standards of the Industrial and Mining Environment Pollution – Warsaw, September 2005 • CF - Mass movement hazard in various environments - Cracow, October 2005 • TR – Postglacial biogenic deposits – research techniques and potential for reconstruction of environmental changes – Zgorzałe, September 2005 • TR – Development of modern simulation tools in hydrogeology – Warsaw, October 2005

16. Capacity building : training of scientists in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy Twinning & International networks (exploratory missions to Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovak, Holland, Russia, Ukraine) Project Realization

17. Research cruises – Germany, September 2003, August 2005 - Sweden, July & August 2004 Invited lectures 2003: C. Laban, J. Ridgeway (WP2), C. Silvano (WP3) 2004: J. Harff, W. Lemke, O. Benike (WP2), G. Verraes (WP4), J. Wasowski (WP3), K. Walreaven, A. Kudelsky (WP1) 2005: B.Winterhalter, I. Cato (WP2), P. Marinos, J. Wasowski, P. Gostelov (WP3), C. Carlon, J.G. Olmedo (WP4), J. Lewandowska, Ch. Geindreau, C. Boutin (WP1) Training courses & capacity building

18. 2003-2004

19. Project and CoE organisation Project monitoring Review meetings, annual progress reports REA coordination and & secretariat

20. 11 international conferences/workshops organised in Poland 10 Abstract volumes (243 abstracts) and 6 printed volumes of Proceedings Participation in European scientific activities - numerous oral and poster presentations Training of Polish and foreign young scientists both in Poland and abroad Trials of entering FP6 projects Public seminars and CoE dissemination materials 7 Twinning agreements with the East and West European institutions Networkings steps Results of three-year long period of project realization

21. Projects in PGI CoE • ALARM • TERRA FIRMA partnership • Multilingual Thesaurus of Geosciences • MELA • PECOMINES; PECOMINES 2 (JRC) • Participation in consortium ENCORA www.pgi.gov.pl/rea

22. Current realization of a rich programme Research contacts – direct and indirect Exchange of information on activities in different EU scientific centers and participation possibility PGI CoE and self presentation. Language training CoE integration in the European Research Area is a complicated & long-term process which demands a lot of time and efforts. It should not be limited to three-year-period of AM project. Stepsshould be undertaken for a further continuation of CoE activities . Discussion

23. Necessities Higher interest of the western institutions in the cooperation, not – the absence of reaction onto the propositions & The implementation of new members to the already existing projects -------- That implies a permanent support not only for individuals to participate a meeting within the project/s, but also for groups realizing the research. Standardisation in the understanding of the meanings, procedures, methods and technology is also an important factor for the integration.

24. It is imperative further to strengthen bi- and multi-lateral long-term efforts Tools: - organisation of jointconferences, seminars and workshops, - exchange of information and specialists, - reciprocal use of laboratory facilities, advanced training of young scientists (!) active participation in and organisation of Polish, regional and European thematic networks & project consortia Conclusions