SKAO joins as Platinum Sponsor for 32nd IAU General Assembly 2024

 

Exciting Partnership: SKAO Joins as Platinum Sponsor for the Historic IAU General Assembly in Africa

Hosted by the National Research Foundation and supported by the Department of Science and Innovation, the 32nd International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly is set to mark a monumental occasion with the SKA Observatory (SKAO) joining as the Platinum Sponsor. This significant partnership underscores the SKAO’s deep commitment to astronomy globally and in Africa, perfectly aligning with the Assembly’s core values of Accessibility, Sustainability, and Impact.

Set to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from August 6 to 15, 2024, the IAU General Assembly marks a groundbreaking moment in the IAU’s over 100-year history. For the first time, the event will be held on African soil and adopt an open-access format, making it accessible to a global audience.

The SKAO’s sponsorship resonates deeply with the General Assembly’s commitment to inclusivity and sustainability. Supporting this event demonstrates the SKAO’s dedication to advancing astronomical exploration and partnerships, particularly in Africa, a continent burgeoning with astronomical potential. The SKAO has a global footprint, with 16 countries involved, and its two state-of-the-art radio telescopes being built in South Africa’s Karoo region and in Western Australia.

The IAU General Assembly 2024 promises to be a melting pot of ideas, featuring diverse sessions and meetings, including symposia on Gravitational Wave Astrophysics, Solar Observations, and Exoplanets in the JWST Era, among others. These sessions epitomise the innovative spirit of astronomy today, aligning closely with SKAO’s areas of research and expertise.

Moreover, the Assembly will open doors to budding astronomers and students, from diverse backgrounds. This initiative ensures that the Assembly not only shares knowledge but also nurtures the next generation of astronomers, particularly in Africa.

In conclusion, the collaboration between the IAU General Assembly 2024 and SKAO reflects a shared dedication to expanding the horizons of knowledge and fostering a sustainable and inclusive future in science. We eagerly anticipate the fruitful outcomes of this partnership and warmly welcome the global community to partake in this historic event.

 

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About the IAU General Assembly 2024: The 32nd International Astronomical Union General Assembly is a landmark event in the field of astronomy, offering an open-access, hybrid format for the first time. Hosted by the South African National Research Foundation and supported by the Department of Science and Innovation the meeting is to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, it promises to be a hub of astronomical innovation and collaboration.

About SKAO: The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is an intergovernmental organisation bringing together nations from around the world. Its mission is to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the Universe and deliver benefits to society through global collaboration and innovation. The Observatory has a global footprint and consists of the SKAO Global Headquarters in the UK, the SKAO’s two telescopes at radio-quiet sites in South Africa and Australia, and associated facilities to support the operations of the telescopes. Once in operation, the SKAO will be one global observatory operating two telescopes across three continents on behalf of its member states and partners.

 

In preparation for the IAU-GA2024, it is essential to bring together the African astronomical community to discuss how the continent can maximally benefit from the opportunity of hosting this event, as well as follow up on discussions from previous meetings on how best to facilitate participation by countries in Africa. The 2022 Forum on Astronomy in Africa took place on 25 October 2022. The forum was fully virtual and brought together members of our community of astronomers, enthusiasts, outreach and education specialists, and policymakers. The purpose of the Forum was to maintain momentum towards GA2024, building on the work of the last forum (held in October 2021) and to allow updates on preparations, Vision 2024 and other projects. 

Participants were welcome to view the presentations from the last forum and to get in touch if they wished to update their previous contributions with new information or anything they might have missed last year. The links to those recorded presentations are on last year’s programme.

Format: Virtual Forum for African astronomy community via Zoom

Date: 25 October 2022

Venue: Online on Zoom (the Stream is now available to catch-up on Youtube)

 

Programme:

This is an up-to-date version of the progamme.

Time	Agenda Item	Speaker
09:00	Welcome and Overview	Charles Takalana
09:05	Special guest welcome remarks – Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) – National Research Foundation (NRF)	Takalani Nemaungani Clifford Nxomani
09:15	Message from the International Astronomical Union (IAU)	Debra Meloy Elmegreen
09:30	Update on Vision 2024	Vanessa McBride
09:45	Status of Astronomy in Africa	Thebe Medupe
10:00	Reflections on Busan	Sally Macfarlane
10:10	Expectations for Cape Town (Tourvest – IME)	Thembi Kunene-Msimang
10:20	Discussion
10:30	Break/informal networking/gather.town
11:00	Vision 2024-funded projects – Anna Aikohi, Space in Africa – Chukwujekwu Nworah, Astro Prison in Nigeria – Doreen Agaba, African Astronomer for a Day – Melvin Hoare, DARA projects – Miracle Chibuzor, Searching for Asteroids through Citizen Science – Pide Aristide Ahanhanzo, Bénin Astro – Proven Emmanuel, Unearthing rich cultural astronomy in Ghana – Solohery Randriamampandry, Malagasy Astronomers Conference – Tolu Biressa, Jimma Outreach programme for Science Education – Wathela Hassan, Zamzam refugee camp outreach programme – The Future of Meetings, What If? – Prospery Simpemba, Copperbelt University – James Chibueze, Hands-on radio interferometry – Olayinka Fagbemiro, NARSDA – Benard Nsamba, Small and affordable radio telescopes in schools
11:55	Remote/robotic observing in Africa	Michele Gerbaldi
12:00	Science flagship/activities	Bradley Frank Bonita de Swardt David Buckley
12:30	Outreach flagship/activities	Sally Macfarlane Duduzile Kubheka
13:00	Break/informal networking/gather.town
14:00	Working session: achieving Vision 2024	Vanessa McBride
16:00	Closing remarks and thoughts from the participants
16:30	End

 

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