The Christmas colloquium organised by Professor Frank Otto took place for the 24th time in 2023. After the inaugural lecture by Honorary Professor Lothar te Kamp, Alexander Rudek reported at the TH Georg Agricola University (THGA) student centre in Bochum/Germany on the graduation excursion to the hard coal mines in Karaganda/Kazakhstan on 1st December 2023. Afterwards, selected graduates presented their impressive and successful careers. Prof. Otto then moderated the presentations of outstanding theses in geotechnics and applied geology as well as in civil and environmental geotechnics. Once again, the founder of the Terrasond Prize, Stefan Schießl, awarded four certificates and cash prizes following the assessment and decision of a three-member jury (Figure 1). First prize went to Irina Engel B. Eng. for her highly interesting contemporary work on the renaturalisation of a Heidelberg Cement limestone quarry in Tula. Two second prizes were awarded to Stefanie Engemann M. Eng., whose work provided interesting insights into the special foundations of a 240 m high wind turbine in the Diepholz area, and Maxim Georgii B. Eng. for his findings regarding the potential danger of flooding of an approximately 50 year old sedimentation basin in the Ramsbeck iron ore in the Siegerland region. The jury awarded a special prize to Sarah Anne Kühne-Martin M. Eng. who presented her Master’s thesis. The topic of recycling in connection with the shell ordinance provided up-to-date information on the use of construction waste, the tonnages produced annually in Germany and the percentage recycling rate. The well-structured, highly topical content of the presentations clearly demonstrated that the topics covered by the THGA, together with young scientists, deal with urgent tasks that have a very concrete impact on the future. (Hartlieb/Si.)
Fig. 1. Jury members, Prof. Frank Otto (back row, 2nd from right) and prize winners (first row) of the Christmas colloquium at the THGA. Photo: THGA
