Programme
Astronomy in Africa Business Meeting
25-26 March 2019,
South African Astronomical Observatory,
Cape Town, South Africa
Programme
(click on specific title for slides or access them all in this folder)
| Day 0 | Sunday 24th March 2019 | Speaker | |
| 10:00 to 17:00 | Optional event: Space and Astronomy Day | Facilitated by Ramasamy Venugopal | |
| 18:00 | Networking Braai (aka nyama choma, shisa nyama, churrasco, t’ibisi, barbecue, etc) | ||
| Day 1 | Monday 25th March 2019 | Speaker | Ref |
| 08:30 | Registration | ||
| 09:00 | Welcome from Department of Science and Technology and South Africa’s offer of support for AfAS | Takalani Nemaungani | |
| 09:15 | Welcome from National Research Foundation | Yunus Manjoo | |
| 09:20 | Brief introductions | All participants | |
| 09:30 | Background and context – setting the scene | Kevin Govender | 01 |
| 09:35 | 2024 – A Unique Opportunity for Africa | Vanessa McBride | 02 |
| 09:50 | SAAO and SALT – world class optical facilities for Astronomy in Africa | Petri Vaisanen | 03 |
| 10:00 | SARAO and MeerKAT – world class radio facilities for Astronomy in Africa | Fernando Camilo | 04 |
| 10:10 | Development in astronomy and space science in Africa | Mirjana Povic | 05 |
| 10:20 | The National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme | Sarah Blyth | 06 |
| 10:25 | Message from the European Astronomical Society | Johan Knapen (by video) | 07 |
| 10:30 | Panel: Astronomy in Africa
(Panelists from leading astronomy facilities in Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Africa) |
Somaya Saad; Paul Baki; Ramotholo Sefako; Bonaventure Okere; |
|
| 11:00 | Break | ||
| Lightning talks (5 minutes, 2 slides, optional poster on display) | |||
| 11:30 | Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) | Habatwa Mweene | 08 |
| 11:35 | Astronomy is Key to Development | Lerothodi Leeuw | |
| 11:40 | What we expect from the new African Initiative for Planetary and Space Science? | Zouhair Benkhaldoun | 14 |
| 11:45 | Ghana Dish Conversion and its relevance | Dickson Adomako | |
| 11:50 | The South African Gamma-Ray Astronomy Programme | Markus Boettcher | |
| 11:55 | HIRAX | Amanda Weltman | |
| 12:00 | The Africa Millimetre Telescope : The vital link in imaging our Galaxy’s supermassive black hole | Rhodri Evans | |
| 12:05 | Pan African University – Space Science | Takalani Nemaungani | |
| 12:10 | Tanzania – Getting on the African Astronomy Train | Noorali Jiwaji | |
| 12:15 | Astronomy in Zambia – Recent Developments | Patrick Sibanda | |
| 12:20 | Developing Astronomy in Madagascar: Potential role of the Malagasy Astronomy & Space Science Association | Zara Randriamanakoto | |
| 12:25 | DOPPLER – a tool for research and capacity building in Mozambique | Valerio Ribeiro | 13 |
| 12:30 | Astronomy Contribution for the Development of Mozambique | Cláudio Moisés Paulo | |
| 12:35 | Space Lab at Copperbelt University | Ng’andwe Mumba | |
| 12:40 | Outreaching for Upliftment and Progress | Jamal Mimouni | 16 |
| 12:45 | Astronomy as a tool to create STEM awareness in Nigeria | Olayinka Fagbemiro | |
| 12:50 | IAU100 Name the Exoplanets Contest | Prospery Simpemba | 17 |
| 12:55 | STEM education at the Planetarium | Sarah Abotsi-Masters | |
| 13:00 | The Travelling Telescope | Susan M Owen | |
| 13:05 | Low cost “Critical mass” Development | James Chibueze | |
| 13:10 | SAYARI Astrotourism | Carringtone Kinyanjui | |
| 13:15 | Lunch | ||
| 14:15 | Actions/Expectations for AfAS (delegates to prepare and submit in advance) | Facilitated by Kevin Govender | |
| 15:00 | Message from the IAU President | Ewine van Dishoeck | |
| 15:15 | Break | ||
| 15:30 | AfAS Constitution
– Discussion: text of constitution (participants to submit suggested changes in advance – reflect on text and discussions overnight) |
Brian Masara Facilitated by Kevin Govender |
09 |
| 16:30 | End of Day 1 | ||
| 19:00 | Official Dinner at the Bungalow | ||
| Day 2 | Tuesday 26th March 2019 | Facilitated by Kevin Govender | |
| 09:00 | AfAS Constitution (continued from Day 1 – finalisation of text) | ||
| 10:00 | Legal status of AfAS
– Existing registration in Ghana – Future registration/way forward |
Sarah Abotsi-Masters |
|
| 10:30 | Coffee break, with SAAO and SARAO staff invited to join | Petri Vaisanen | |
| 11:30 | AfAS Secretariat
– Requirements (resources, expectations) – Location |
Takalani Nemaungani |
|
| 12:00 | Election of officers | ||
| 13:00 | Lunch | ||
| 14:00 | Time reserved for any matters that may require more discussion time. | ||
| 15:15 | Break | ||
| 15:30 | Summary and Way forward | ||
| 16:30 | End of meeting (with time for networking and optional SAAO tour until dinner) | ||
| 18:00 | Dinner at venue (SAAO Auditorium) |
