Final round and winners of the International Problem Solver Competition

Around a year ago, we announced the list of teams qualified for the final round of our Competition. Due to the currently developed new situation, our lives, daily routines, social activities and work habits have been changed. We were in contact with our contestants to monitor their progress in video-making to give them enough time for preparation. Finally, by the end of 2020, 7 short movies were submitted and now we are happy to announce the final results made by an international jury of 4 experts at the end of this long journey.

  1. GroundwatCH: Coordinated management and sustainability of land use and agriculture. How groundwater is affecting and affected? What are the concerns, limits and effects? by Aditya Vikram Jain and Ricardo Leonel Marroquín Paíz, IHE-DELFT, Institute for Water Education, UNESCO, Delft, the Netherlands
  2. The Origin: The drinking water – mineral water – thermal water nexus: interrelationship and aligned management. Where are the borders in quality and quantity? by Ji Taotao and Tang Xulin, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
  3. By Two: Numerical simulation of coupled fluid–heat–matter transport. What are the next-generation application aspects and possibilities? by Ying Tan and Jiaxin Shi, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
  4. Miyah: Can Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) mitigate groundwater depletion? Issues, aspects and possibilities in groundwater quantity augmentation and quality amelioration by Hana Ben Mahrez and Sikandar Hayat, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
  5. Cug_gw: Overexploitation and groundwater depletion. What are the effects and innovative solution perspectives? by Zhang Yipeng and Wang Qi, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
  6. WenGer Not Arsene: Interaction of fluids and metals: novel approaches in economically feasible metal production of geothermal systems. Engineering issues and environmental impacts by Valerie Wendo and VictorGerald Nzewuji, University of Miskolc, Hungary
  7. Pro-gro: Water, sanitation and hygiene: improved knowledge on water quality. What is the perspective for human development? by Abiodun Olugbenga Ajayi and Arinloye Samuel, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Congratulations to all teams and we are very grateful for their persistent and hard work! All contestants were awarded by full-year memberships for International Association of Hydrogeologists and the best of the bests can attend International Symposium on Geofluids and the ENeRAG’s workshops free of charge.

Final amendment of the videos is in progress taking into consideration the comments of our experts and then the videos will be shared soon. Stay tuned!

Finalists of the International Problem Solver Competition

Terms of universities competed on 14 February in the first, online test, round. Undergraduate, graduate and PhD students from China, Egypt, India, Iran, the Netherlands, Nepal, Nigeria, South Korea, Uganda and the USA answered the multiple-choice and essay-type questions focusing mostly on the groundwater side of the processes. The following teams qualified for the second round:

  • By two: Ying Tan and Jiaxin Shi (China University of Geosciences, Beijing)
  • Cugb_gw: Zhang Yipeng and Wang Qi (China University of Geosciences, Beijing)
  • GroundwatCH: Ricardo Leonel Marroquín Paíz and Aditya Vikram Jain (IHE-DELFT, Institute for Water Education, UNESCO, the Netherlands)
  • Pro-gro: Ajayi Abiodun Olugbenga and Arinloye Samuel Adebisi (Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria)
  • The origin: Ji TaoTao and Tang Xulin (China University of Geosciences, Beijing)

The qualified teams will deliver a practical problem related to groundwater in the form of a short video.

Final round and winners of the Problem Solver Competition

The final round of the Competition for Hungarian students was held on 15 November 2019.

This Competition was initiated by the ENeRAG Excellency Network Building for Comprehensive Research and Assessment of Geofluids Horizon 2020 project in collaboration with RGFC-IAH and the József & Erzsébet Tóth Endowed Hydrogeology Chair of the Department of Geology.

University students could enter the two-round competition, which included an online test on the system approach of geofluid systems from the fluid side. Our best four groups competed at this open event by delivering their presentations about the practical aspects and application of system approach of geofluids regarding issues and examples from their home country. Issues, challenges, possibilities, regulations and limitations were discussed on Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), groundwater reinjection, combined heat and metal production and volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit (VMS). The Problem Solver Competition aims the assessment of geofluid resources applying the dynamic system approach by bringing it to university level.

All of the teams gave fantastic talks and highlighted the interaction of geofluids with different origins and characters. Finally, Team Wenger not Arsene (Valerie Wendo and VictorGerald Nzewuji, University of Miskolc) and Team Miyah (Hana Ben Mahrez and Sikandar Hayat, ELTE) excelled and received the first prize and the special prize went to the Team Aquamarine (Petra Baják, Zsóka Szabó, ELTE).

Registration for EGU, attendance of ENeRAG’s workshop, memberships for the next year and other small gifts were granted to the contestants. According to the decision of the invited judges, all teams qualified for the International Problem Solver Competition.

International Problem Solver Competition launched!

International Problem Solver Competition is initiated by the ENeRAG Excellency Network Building for Comprehensive Research and Assessment of Geofluids Horizon 2020 project in collaboration with Regional Groundwater Flow Commission of International Association of Hydrogeologists (RGFC-IAH) and the József & Erzsébet Tóth Endowed Hydrogeology Chair (JET-EHC, Budapest, Hungary).

University students can enter the two-round competition, which includes an online test on the dynamic systems of geofluids from the fluid side. Then the best groups (depending on the number of applicants) will qualify for the second round and receive a topic about the practical aspects and application of dynamic system approach of the ENeRAG regarding issues and examples around the World. The topics will be delivered in the form of 5-minutes-long short movies.

The prizes to be awarded: conference registration for Geofluids Symposium (8–10 July 2020, Budapest, Hungary), free of charge attendance for 1 of ENeRAG’s workshops, short courses and training, memberships for scientific associations, books and other gifts.

More information about the project enerag.elte.hu and about the competition adam.toth@geology.elte.hu. All of the related details can be found in the call below.

Topics of practical presentations given by the Hungarian finalists

The main purpose of the next round of the Problem Solver Competition is to test the ability relate the various attributes, causes, and consequences of the water’s geologic agency to groundwater-dependent natural processes or practical problems arising at broad scales of space and time in real life. References to these real-life examples for, specific cases or situations from home countries of the contestants are welcome but not required. They need to highlight the dynamic system approach which is a comprehensive scheme to research and manage geofluid-related resources. The presentations will provisionally be held at the very beginning of November 2019.

Topics:

  1. Studying hydrothermal alteration mineral assemblages: a tool for VMS deposit exploration. Which minerals, circumstances, conditions and attributes can aid the exploration? Presented by Team VMS
  2. Shallow geothermal potential and utilization in Hungary: facts and prospects. What are the geologic–hydrogeologic prerequisites, exploitation possibilities and engineering techniques? Presented by Geospritzer
  3. To reinject or not to reinject, that is the question. What are the regulatory issues and what could be the hydrogeological, environmental, biological, chemical, engineering impacts of fluid reinjection? Presented by Aquamarine
  4. Can Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) mitigate groundwater depletion? Issues, aspects and possibilities in groundwater quantity augmentation and quality amelioration. Presented by Miyah
  5. Interaction of fluids and metals: novel approaches in economically feasible metal production of geothermal systems. Engineering issues and environmental impacts. Presented by WenGer Not Arsene

 

Finalists of the Problem Solver Competition’s Hungarian round

Teams of Hungarian universities competed on 17 April in the first, online test, round. Undergraduate, graduate and PhD students from University of Debrecen, Miskolc and ELTE answered the multiple-choice and essay-type questions focusing mostly on the groundwater side of the processes. The following teams qualified for the second round:

  • Aquamarine: Petra Baják, Zsóka Szabó (ELTE)
  • Geospritzer: Kristóf Botos, Ábel Markó (ELTE)
  • Miyah: Hana Ben Mahrez, Sikandar Hayat (ELTE)
  • Team VMS: Yohannes Kelati, Justine Myovela (ELTE)
  • WenGer not Arsene: Valerie Wendo, Victor Gerald Nzewuji (University of Miskolc)

All of the contestants are very welcome to take part in the presentation of geofluids related topics provisionally held at the beginning of November.

10 groups in the Hungarian round of the Problem Solver Competition

The aim of this competition is to encourage students to learn about geofluid systems and utilize the acquired information in solving practical problems. The first round will be an online test of the basic knowledge on system approach based on provided readings, which allows for the qualification to the second round. The best groups will receive a topic about the practical aspects and application of system approach of geofluids. This topic will have to be worked out as a 15-minute presentation. Teams are invited to present their topics and answer the questions in a special event, scheduled to the beginning of November 2019.

The Hungarian round has been already started, with 10 groups, who will complete the online test in mid April.

 

Problem Solver Competition launched!

Problem Solver Competition is initiated by the ENeRAG Excellency Network Building for Comprehensive Research and Assessment of Geofluids Horizon 2020 project in collaboration with RGFC-IAH and the József & Erzsébet Tóth Endowed Hydrogeology Chair (JET-EHC, Budapest, Hungary).

University students can enter the two-round competition, which includes an online test on the system approach of geofluid systems from the fluid side. Then the best groups (depending on the number of applicants) will qualify for the second round and receive a topic about the practical aspects and application of system approach of geofluids regarding issues and examples from their home country.

The prizes to be awarded: free of charge attendance for 1 of ENeRAG’s workshops, short courses and training,  conference registration, memberships for scientific associations, books and other gifts.

More information about the project @ enerag.elte.hu and about the competition @ adam.toth@geology.elte.hu. All of the related details can be found in the call below.