21 September 2026
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
In my March update, I shared that our 21st ICSMGE meeting in Vienna would serve as a checkpoint to reassess the 2026 schedule. During my consultations there with international members of the Organizing and Scientific Committees, ISSMGE President Professor Lyesse Laloui, and Past President Dr. Marc Ballouz, we carefully reviewed the conditions necessary for a successful inaugural PMGEC. Dr. Ballouz’s vision and support were instrumental in establishing PMGEC under the auspices of ISSMGE, and his continued commitment has been invaluable to its development.
While progress has been encouraging in recent months, we concluded that the stability and confidence required for a major international conference of this scale have not yet fully returned. As a result, we reached a consensus to postpone the conference further, allowing additional time for conditions to improve.
Our priority remains to ensure that PMGEC brings together the Mediterranean geotechnical engineering community under the best possible conditions. We remain committed to delivering the scientific, professional, and networking experience that our participants, speakers, partners, and sponsors expect.
Accordingly, after careful consideration, the Organizing Committee has set the new conference dates as 27-30 October 2027.
All existing registrations, accepted abstracts, and speaker invitations remain valid, provided participants can commit to the new dates. For those who cannot, we will make appropriate arrangements. In recognition of the postponement, we will also open a new call for abstracts and paper submissions, ensuring that PMGEC is as inclusive and representative as possible when it convenes in 2027. We will announce updated timelines, submission deadlines, and other key milestones for PMGEC 2027 soon.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to our sponsors and partners. Your commitment to supporting PMGEC in Lebanon has been a cornerstone of our efforts, and we remain dedicated to honoring that trust as we move forward together.
I am deeply grateful to our delegates, authors, speakers, sponsors, partners, committees, and the entire geotechnical engineering community for their patience, understanding, and continued support.
All information and updates will be published on the official PMGEC News Page: www.pmgec-leb.com/news
Sincerely,
Grace Abou Jaoude, Ph.D.
Chair of the Organizing Committee, PMGEC
President of the Lebanese Geotechnical Engineering Society (LGES)