312 / 479
Proceedings of the 18
th
International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Paris 2013
Appendix 11: Public Relations Committee
M. Ballouz
Chair PRC
1
MEMBERS
1.1
ISSMGE Board Members supervising PRC
Jean-Louis BRIAUD, USA, ISSMGE President
Ikuo TOWHATA, Japan, ISSMGE Board Liaison
Ivan VANICEK, Czech Republic,
1.2
PRC Members
Marc BALLOUZ, Lebanon, Chair
Valérie BERNHARDT, France, Secretary
Jie HAN, USA
Georg HEERTEN, Germany
Mark JAKSA, Australia
Wei LEE, Chinese Taipei,
Hoe LING, USA
Edyta MALINOVSKA, Poland
Jarbas MILITITSKY, Brazil
Walter PANIAGUA,Mexico
Giulia VIGGIANI, Italy
Sherif WISSA, Egypt
Gang ZHENG, China
Diana ZREIK, Lebanon
2
ORIGINAL CHARGES
The following charges were the original founding tasks around
which PRC was created and in the objective of which it was
launched.
2.1
COMPOSITION
The PRC will be composed of the following members
a. one Chair
b. 6 Members (approximately)
The members will be appointed by the President after
consultation with the ISSMGE Board and will be appointed for
1 year renewable. An effort will be made to represent all
continents. A member of the ISSMGE Board will be chosen as
the liaison with the PRC. The Board will have the right to
discontinue the membership of a PRC member in case of poor
performance. A Vice-Chair and a Secretary will be selected by
the PRC Chair after consulting with the ISSMGE president and
the PRC committee members.
2.2
TASK
The Task of the PRC will consist of being the link between
ISSMGE and the general public including the written news
media, the video news media, and response to natural disasters
with geotechnical content. The activities of the ISSMGE Public
Relations Committee will include:
2.2.1
Website
a. An educational and informative website will be created on
the World Wide Web, as a reference to anybody who likes
to know what geotechnical engineering is. The website will
use simple definitions and explanations describing different
geotechnical engineering aspects and activities, with some
pictures, videos and animations. It will be complementing
the Wikipedia presentation and will include crucial links to
many geotechnical societies and associations around the
world for the visitor to pursue his quest if needed.
2.2.2
News media
b. Identify the best way to interact with the written press
c. Identify the best way to interact with the television media
d. Identify how to best interact with film makers and special
programs such as The Discovery Channel, National
Geographic, The Science Channel, and so on (e.g.:
documentary on the most impressive geotech project in the
world).
e. Send a proposal to the ISSMGE Board by mid November
2011.
2.2.3
The Public
f. Identify the best way to interact with the public in general
(e.g.: pamphlets and trifolds on home owners geotech
problems)
g. Identify the best way to interact with the schools (pre
university)
h. Identify the best way to interact with government officials.
i. Identify advertising agencies which may help in enhancing
our public image
j. Prepare a time capsule to be opened in 500 years.
k. Interact with science and engineering museums to propose
displays.
l. Send a proposal to the ISSMGE Board by mid November
2011.
2.2.4
Disaster response
m. Identify ways to help our fellow geotechnical engineers
when they are subjected to natural disasters related to
geotechnical engineering.
n. Identify ways to help the general public when they are
subjected to natural disaster related to geotechnical
engineering.
o. Send a proposal to the ISSMGE Board by mid November
2011.
p. The following is a list of ideas from the ISSMGE
membership at large collected since May 2011.
1. Offer reduced or free registration to our conferences
to disaster victims for one year.
2. Supports RedR - Register of Engineers for Disaster
Relief
(http://www.redr.org.uk).
Volume 6 - Page 312