There is a strong desire, among trainees, alumni, faculty, and collaborators, to keep in touch and keep MAGNET going in some capacity. The friendships, partnerships and collaborations that have formed via MAGNET have been one of its most successful outcomes, as well as the feeling of belonging to a special community.
MAGNET truly created a network of young scientists across Canada (East-West, French-English, low- high temperature geochemistry). It is very clear that these bright and motivated individuals, who have developed the creative capacity to think big, will become the next leaders in geochemistry (industry, research, government, NGO) over the next decades. They became an integrated community through the on-line courses and presentations, at professional meetings, and especially through the annual workshops. The MAGNET trainees have developed privileged relationships and a unique synergy that will continue far beyond the end of the program. The breadth and diversity of the network provides a wealth of knowledge and resources that will be useful for them at all levels, including professional advice, career development, research assistance and future collaboration. They also know that they can consult the PIs for continued mentorship and support.
Although MAGNET as an NSERC CREATE program has ended, the MAGNET network and legacy will live on through our sustainability initiatives. Our overall vision is for MAGNET to continue to grow and evolve into a professional network of geochemists across Canada and beyond.
Methods for sustaining the program and keeping in touch include:
- MAGNET website: the website has been updated and will remain live as a reference/archive.
- MAGNET Facebook group
- MAGNET LinkedIn group
- Mailing list
- Quarterly newsletter
- Reunions at conferences, field trips before/after
- Anniversary workshops or short courses
- Online seminars, speaker series, lunch & learns
- Student society/chapter with scholarship/award program
- Research collaborations, lab exchanges
- Industry internships (with funding from Mitacs, Engage etc.)