The course deals with a variety of topics representing important challenges not only in the subject of engineering geology, but more broadly in geosciences and society.

We will introduce the concept of risk in a broad sense, seeking the active participation of students through brainstorming and roleplay to understand risk management issues in natural and anthropic hazards.

We will also deal with the concept of geoethics, stimulating a debate on the role of geoscientists in society, particularly in the current climate emergency.

Another grand challenge we will be dealing with is the energy crisis and, more broadly, the energy cycle, with lectures dedicated to renewable energy (e.g., design and environmental issues of offshore wind turbines), fossil fuels (oil & gas exploration, environmental issues of pipelines), nuclear (deep geological disposal of nuclear waste), geothermal energy, and underground CO₂ storage.

Finally, the course will also focus on large-scale natural disasters: chains of geohazards, landslides, floods and tsunamis triggered by earthquakes, rainstorms, glacier and permafrost melting – we will discuss old and new challenges in their prediction and mitigation and the greatly disruptive role of climate change.