Date: Wednesday, 3 December 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 CET

Location: Online Seminar

Agenda:

10:00 - Prof. Dr. Fabrice Cotton (GFZ): "Diversity Efforts within Geo-INQUIRE"

10:15 - Dr. Marlene Gomez Becerra (GFZ): "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as Foundations for Scientific Rigor in Geosciences"

10:45 - Question and Answer Session

Scientific objectivity depends not only on data and methods but also on the social systems that produce them. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) directly influence the reliability, scope, and relevance of geoscientific knowledge. Homogeneous teams and inequitable environments have a higher chance to introduce systematic bias, through constrained site selection, limited hypothesis space, uneven access to instruments, and attrition of underrepresented talent.

This seminar examines DEI, discrimination, and unconscious bias as variables affecting data quality, safety, and innovation. Drawing on empirical studies and examples from geoscience practice, it argues that inclusive research environments function as quality-control systems: they can reduce error, enhance reproducibility, and improve external validity. Participants will gain an evidence-based understanding of why equitable and inclusive teams are not a social preference but a scientific necessity for robust, globally relevant geoscience.

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