Young Geotechnical Professionals Symposium
The YGPS2025 is open to geotechnical professionals from across Australia who are aged 35 years or younger in the year of the symposium. The event provides a platform for participants to present on any topic related to geomechanics, engineering geology, or geotechnical engineering, whether drawing from research, project experience, or professional interest.
As part of the program, we will also be hosting the presentations for the GHD Prize in Geomechanics, an annual award sponsored by GHD and presented by the Australian Geomechanics Society Newcastle Chapter. This prize recognises the best final-year undergraduate project in the field of geomechanics at The University of Newcastle, Australia.
Eligibility
To be eligible to attend, nominees must be:
- AGS members at the time of the symposium;
- they must be 35 years or younger in the year of the symposium; and
- they should not have previously attended a YGP conference (i.e. a previous conference in the Australia-New Zealand YGP conference series).
Selection Criteria
Sixteen nominees will be invited to present at the symposium, selected based on the quality of their submitted abstract and with the aim of achieving a diverse cohort of young professionals. Consideration will be given to diversity across age, gender, professional background (practice and research), sponsoring organisation, discipline (engineering and geology), and presentation topic.
Abstracts and Nominations
Please complete the nomination form on the website. Nominations of delegates must also be supported by a senior mentor and include an abstract of 250 words on a topic that is related to geotechnical practice or research. Positions are limited to 16 attendees. Successful nominees will be expected to deliver a presentation at the symposium based on their submitted abstract.
The top three presentations will each receive a cash prize of $600 each and a certificate. In addition, the three prize recipients will be invited to prepare a paper based on their presentation for potential publication in Australian Geomechanics Journal. Receipt of the full cash prize is contingent on this submission: 30% of the prize will be paid following the symposium, and the remaining 70% will be paid upon acceptance of the paper for publication.
Registration Cost
Registration costs are currently being finalised, but are expected to range between $500 and $600 (incl. GST). This will cover lunches and refreshments throughout the event, a welcome reception, the conference dinner and awards night, venue registration, and a local geology excursion. We are also in the process of organising a discount code for those who wish to book accommodation at the symposium venue for the night before and/or after the event.
Each delegate will also take home an exclusive conference merchandise bag, complete with a limited-edition YGP symposium T-shirt and other gifts to remember the event.
A limited number of tickets to the dinner and awards ceremony following the symposium will also be made available to the broader AGS membership closer to the event.
Important Dates
Nominations and abstracts due — Monday 1 September 2025
Notice of acceptance — Monday 15 September 2025
Registrations close — Monday 13 October 2025
Presentation submissions — Monday 3 November 2025
Welcome reception — Monday 17 November 2025
Presentations, Networking & Awards Ceremony — Tuesday 18 November 2025
Field trip — Wednesday 19 November 2025
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship opportunies for the conference are now available. For more information, please contact [email protected]
Sponsorship can be purchased directly through the website.
Call for Abstracts
Engineers Australia members participating in AGS technical sessions can record attendance on their personal CPD logs. Members should refer to Engineers Australia CPD policy for details on CPD types, requirements and auditing guidelines.