Astronomy and space are intrinsically what connect us all, by the very nature of our cosmic origin. However, today, emerging countries have little to no access to it. While every single culture in the world once connected to the stars, few have the opportunity to contribute to our scientific understanding of the cosmos and benefit from it. In a post-COVID world threatened by climate change and with social injustices, addressing this inequality is urgent. There have been considerable efforts, yet much more is needed to make astronomy and space inclusive with concrete outcomes. One of the required things is to leverage communication between countries across the globe, and witness how different countries with different cultures and challenges approach their development of astronomy and space. In this session, we will look at a few African and Southeast Asian examples, and highlight how communities, universities, and governments are dealing with the focus of astronomy and space as a tool for development in education, technology, science, and peace-building.

Presenter



Nour Skaf

Nour Skaf is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. After completing her PhD early 2023 from Paris Observatory based at the Subaru Telescope in Hawai’i on exoplanet science and instrumentation, she spent a few months in several emerging countries, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia, working on astronomy outreach and accessibility.

Event Details

FORMAT: Presentation and interactive workshop session hosted by SPIE volunteers.
MENU: Boxed meal service for the first 40 attendees with gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian options available.
SETUP: Round tables with approximately 8 chairs per table.