Training and education of engineering geologists for the new urban challenges in applied geosciences

The University of Portsmouth, UK, has offered applied geoscience degree courses for nearly 40 years. These programmes started initially with degrees in Engineering Geology and Geotechnics which were complemented by an Applied Environmental Geoscience programme and, more recently, with BSc (Hons) Geological Hazards, together with an applied postgraduate Masters portfolio. During this period the focus of these applied courses has changed drastically. In the very early years the taught component included many aspects of the mining industry, primarily focusing on coal and progressing on to deep mining in Africa, with both industries being the key exit point for many of the graduates. As these mining industries waned or recruited more local graduates consulting and contracting civil engineering became the more dominant employer with careers in ground engineering and construction reflecting the new nature of the taught programmes. Latterly, the nature of the courses has again changed to reflect the changing nature of the industry and employment needs, driven mainly by the urban regeneration agendas and the increasing importance of the understanding of risk and hazard. Employment now for graduates is very much in the brownfield site / contaminated land sectors of the industry within the urban environment. This paper will review the education and training of engineering geologists at Portsmouth and will describe the more recent aspects of these programmes as they relate to the urban geosciences. The paper will outline the course units in contaminated land, its assessment, investigation and reclamation, together with the more riskbased approach adopted in modern geotechnical practice.