Mediterranean Geosciences Union MEDGU on November 08, 2026 in Cairo, Egypt

Mediterranean Geosciences Union (MedGU) aims to create a unique federation that brings together and represents the Mediterranean geoscience community specializing in the areas of Earth, planetary and space sciences.

MedGU will be structured along the lines of AGU (American Geophysical Union) and EGU (European Geosciences Union).

The MedGU is described in further depth in this publication published in Mediterranean Geoscience Reviews (Springer).

The plan is to establish a large organization for the Mediterranean region that is more influential than any one local geoscience society with the objective of fostering fundamental geoscience research, as well as applied research that addresses key societal and environmental challenges.

MedGU’s overarching vision is to contribute to the realization of a sustainable future for humanity and for the planet.

The creation of this union will give the Earth sciences more influence in policy-making and in the implementation of solutions to preserve the natural environment and to create more sustainable societies for the people living in the Mediterranean region. It is hoped that the union will also provide opportunities to Mediterranean geoscientists to undertake interdisciplinary collaborative research. MedGU plans to recognize the work of the most active geoscientists with a number of awards and medals.

Although MedGU has not yet been officially inaugurated and is still in its initial five-year phase, its first annual meeting was organized in November 2021 in Istanbul (MedGU-21), the second meeting took place in Marrakech (MedU-22), and the third meeting was held in Istanbul (MedGU-23). The fourth annual meeting (MedGU-24), hosted by the University of Barcelona, was a resounding success, drawing 750 attendees in person and online from 65 countries. The fifth annual meeting (MedGU-25), hosted by the University of Athens, welcomed 580 participants in person and online from more than 60 countries.

This has provided a forum to achieve a consensus for the formation of this non-profit international union of geoscientists. Membership will be open to individuals who have a professional engagement with the Earth, planetary and space sciences and related studies, including students and retired seniors.

Nabil Khélifi (Germany), Attila Çiner (Türkiye), and ElSayed A. Issawy (Egypt) have adopted an ambitious vision for the launch of the 6th MedGU Annual Meeting (MedGU-26), with the goal of developing it into the largest international geoscience event in the Mediterranean and the wider MENA region in 2026.

It is expected that hundreds of participants from all over the world will attend this MedGU Annual Meeting 2026, making it one of the largest and most prominent geosciences event in the region. The meeting’s sessions will cover a wide range of topics with more details available on the Conference Tracks.

This MedGU Annual Meeting 2026 will have a "hybrid" format, with both in-person and virtual participation. The proceedings will be published in a book series (indexed in Scopus) by Springer/IEREK as well as a number of special issues in diverse scientific journals.