Science Engagement
We are involved in wide ranging science engagement activities - including running workshops and giving outreach talks for schools and the public, serving on national and international committees, and working to make astronomy a more diverse, inclusive and equitable space.
XXXII IAU GA FM7: New Horizons at the Interface Between Computational Astrophysics and Big Data
Coming soon... With the advance of ‘Big Data’ large-scale surveys and similarly record-breaking simulations, the traditional divisions between computational astrophysics and observational astronomy are eroding. In the era of exascale computing, what new science and perspectives will the marriage of simulations and Big Data bring? And how do we prepare for it, lay the groundwork for the infrastructure, and prepare the community? What are the challenges and the opportunities that arise at the interface between simulations and Big Data?
Abstract and Grant Submission, and Hackathon Sign-up Deadline: 1 March 2023
See: https://idia.ac.za/bdh2024/ for more information.
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IAU ChaICA-V: Challenges and Innovations in Computational Astrophysics V
The 5th edition of the ChaICA series of meetings on computational astrophysics organised by IAU Commission B1: Computational Astrophysics. The meeting provides a forum especially for early-career researchers to present to their peers their work on computational algorithms, methods and new software projects. The talks are a mix of both numerical methods and scientific results, but the focus of the meeting is on the computational and programming aspects.
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NASA's Universe of Learning: Science Briefing on 'Exploring the lives and deaths of stars'
Click on the image to watch the briefing on youtube.
"About the series: The NASA’s Universe of Learning Science Briefings are professional learning telecons for the informal science education community, done in partnership with the NASA’s Museum & Informal Education Alliance, now found on NASA CONNECTS. ...NASA scientists and engineers provide contemporary science results, and are able to respond to listener questions during the telecon. NASA-developed education and outreach resources, matched to the monthly theme, are included in every briefing."
See NASA science briefings for more information and related materials.
Women in STEM: Voices from the developing world
This panel discussion on Women in Stem was part of a project being led by Prof. Shobhana Narasimhan with collaborators at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). There were several invited talks as well as a workshop around the WISTUM project:
"In our society, there are significant elements of unequal treatment of different people, especially with regard to their origin and gender or gender identity. Unfortunately, this also applies to the academic environment, including the STEM domain.
The WISTUM project is a "cooperative discussion game" on the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion in the scientific field. The game allows a group of players to experience the stories and learnings of inspiring individuals who have faced and ultimately overcome significant challenges due to inequality. We want to increase the visibility and recognition of potentially successful but underrepresented groups of people. A game, unlike other passive media, allows players to actively engage with the issue and broaden their own experience."
It’s time for Africa! The IAU General Assembly 2024 will be in Cape Town!
Voting session during the IAU General Assembly Closing Ceremony on Aug. 30, 2018, in Vienna, Austria. Credit: IAU/M. Zamani
For more information see: https://astronomy2024.org/