Review of the Mid European Clay Conference 2024 in Pilsen

The Mid European Clay Conference (MECC) took place in Pilsen from 16.09. - 20.09.2024. Despite some cancellations due to floods, a dense, high-quality programme was put together. With 18 participants, the DTTG represented the largest group of participating clay groups and was particularly pleased that Prof Katja Emmerich, a long-standing DTTG member and former president, received the Brown Lecture award. Since 2000, the British Clay Minerals Group (CMG) has presented this award in recognition of outstanding research in the field of clays and clay minerals. Prof George Brown (1926-1996) was one of the best-known British clay researchers. The DTTG warmly congratulates Prof Emmerich, whose Brown Lecture on the large-scale ‘sandwich’ experiment and interactions between water and smectites places her in the list of prize winners behind famous clay researchers such as Prof Drits and Prof Nadeau.

The DTTG also proudly congratulates our student member Wolfgang Zucha, who received the award for the best student presentation.

The next MECC conference will take place in Zurich in two years' time and will be organised by the DTTG. Visitors to the conference in Zurich can also expect a packed programme on clays and clay minerals, ranging from experimental work to modern molecular dynamics calculations. The typically welcoming atmosphere of this conference series will also play a special part in its success in Zurich.