PhD Meeting 2024
XXXIII Student Meeting 2024 in Freiberg: Let’s talk about water!
The 33rd PhD Meeting 2024 of hydrogeologists was organized by the Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF). From 13 to 16 May, 19 doctoral students from Dresden, Tübingen and Freiberg met at TUBAF.
On 13 May, Birdsall-Dreiss Lecturer 2024 Ben Rostron gave a lecture on lithium in brines of southwest Saskatchewan, Canada. The official start of the meeting was the subsequent ice-breaker party, where the PhD students were able to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere.
14 May started with a keynote by Dr. Alireza Arab (TUBAF, Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry) on possible ups and downs during a doctorate. He gave helpful advice on successful completion. The doctoral students then presented their research topics for discussion in 15-minute lectures until lunchtime. In the afternoon, in early summer temperatures, the surface structures of the “Untere Revierwasserlaufanstalt” Freiberg were visited. This water supply system emerged from the 16th century as a result of silver mining. At the end of the day, Ben Rostron gave another presentation about the first underground CO2 storage project in Canada.
15 May began with an excursion to the TUBAF research and teaching mine “Reiche Zeche”: In addition to a brief insight into the history of the mine, two doctoral students presented their underground laboratory work at a depth of 150 m. They presented their projects for monitoring mine water quality and thermal energy storage in disused mines. After lunch, Andre Uhlmann from the southwest Saxonian start-up network SAXEED gave an insight into the path from research to starting a company, followed by further presentations of the PhD students. Poster presentations and networking opportunities concluded the day. In total, the doctoral students presented their research topics in eleven oral presentations and six posters. The topics ranged from column and batch tests, the transport of pollutants, and the production of a water filter system, to numerical modeling.
On 16 May, the 33rd PhD Meeting ended with a workshop entitled: “Navigating the doctoral Odyssey – Strategies for overcoming challenges and achieving success”, led by Dr. Kristina Wopat (TUBAF, Graduate and Research Academy).
We would like to thank the Association of Friends and Supporters of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the Hydrogeology Section in the DGGV (FH-DGGV) and the German Section of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH-D) for the financial support, without which this event would not have been possible. Thanks also to all participants who made the meeting what it is: A networking event for young scientists in hydrogeology in Germany. Good luck!
The TUBAF PhD students
Leonie Gabler, Clemens Hartmann, Lúcia Pedrosa, Sebastian Schramm, Rebecca Serbe, Faith Chebet Tumwet
Financial support was provided by the German IAH Chapter (IAH-D), the Expert Group of Hydrogeology in the German Geological Society (Fachsektion Hydrogeologie in der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, FH-DGGV) and the Association of Friends and Supporters of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
