Hannah Dalgleish
Gather.town id
ASR03
Poster Title
Astronomy as a tool for human capacity development: the Namibian example
Institution
University of Oxford
Abstract (short summary)
Astronomy for development is making great strides in Namibia. As a country renowned for its dark and pristine skies, Namibia offers the perfect landscape for the construction of ground-based observatories. The benefits of developing astrophysics infrastructure are not only limited to solving the mysteries of the Universe, however. Numerous research has shown that astronomy projects around the world lead to many other benefits – societal, cultural, economic, and environmental.
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is so far the first and only large-scale telescope to arrive in Namibia, in operation since 2002. Plans of building more telescopes in the country, such as the African Millimetre Telescope (AMT) and a part of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) of telescopes are currently underway.
The AMT will bring with it many more opportunities for capacity-building, and our multi-disciplinary collaboration is working on a Social Impact Plan to maximise the societal benefits brought about by the future observatory. This Plan takes a multi-disciplinary approach to setting the scene for astronomy and sustainable development in Namibia. Looking at education more closely, we outline plans for the Mobile Planetarium; the materials we will create for schools; teacher training; bringing international astronomy training programmes to Namibia; mentorship, scholarship, and fellowship programmes; and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge. In all, sustainability is our utmost priority and by incorporating these different efforts we hope to inspire a new generation of scientists in Namibia.
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is so far the first and only large-scale telescope to arrive in Namibia, in operation since 2002. Plans of building more telescopes in the country, such as the African Millimetre Telescope (AMT) and a part of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) of telescopes are currently underway.
The AMT will bring with it many more opportunities for capacity-building, and our multi-disciplinary collaboration is working on a Social Impact Plan to maximise the societal benefits brought about by the future observatory. This Plan takes a multi-disciplinary approach to setting the scene for astronomy and sustainable development in Namibia. Looking at education more closely, we outline plans for the Mobile Planetarium; the materials we will create for schools; teacher training; bringing international astronomy training programmes to Namibia; mentorship, scholarship, and fellowship programmes; and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge. In all, sustainability is our utmost priority and by incorporating these different efforts we hope to inspire a new generation of scientists in Namibia.
Plain text (extended) Summary
Astronomy for development is making great strides in Namibia. As a country renowned for its dark and pristine skies, Namibia offers the perfect landscape for the construction of ground-based observatories. The benefits of developing astrophysics infrastructure are not only limited to solving the mysteries of the Universe, however. Numerous research has shown that astronomy projects around the world lead to many other benefits – societal, cultural, economic, and environmental.
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is so far the first and only large-scale telescope to arrive in Namibia, in operation since 2002. Plans of building more telescopes in the country, such as the African Millimetre Telescope (AMT) and a part of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) of telescopes are currently underway. In addition to strengthening international VLBI science, the AVN will help develop skills and institutional capacity needed to optimise African participation in the upcoming Square Kilometre Array.
The AMT will bring with it many more opportunities for capacity-building, via a Social Impact Plan to maximise the societal benefits brought about by the future observatory. One of the main aspects of this Plan is to have a clear understanding of the needs and wants of Namibian society, especially in relation to education as well as science, technology, and innovation. With these important contexts in place, we can facilitate cooperation and support from the Namibian government, while ensuring that our goals are in line with national documents like the Namibian Vision 2030, the 5th National Development Plan, and the new Space Science and Technology Policy 2021-30.
In further detail, the AMT Social Impact Plan takes a multi-disciplinary approach to setting the scene for astronomy and sustainable development in Namibia. The Plan includes several projects, including bringing a Mobile Planetarium to every school in the country; creating materials for schools; teacher training; bringing international astronomy training programmes to Namibia; mentorship, scholarship, and fellowship programmes; and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge. In all, sustainability is our utmost priority and by incorporating these different efforts we hope to inspire a new generation of scientists in Namibia.
Finally, we are also using astronomy as a means for capacity-building via educating tour guides and promoting dark sky tourism (DST) to relevant stakeholders. DST offers many benefits: heritage is preserved and celebrated; tour guides learn about astronomy and complement their earnings; meanwhile tourists engage in awe-inspiring activities while learning about topics like indigenous astronomy and light pollution.
In order to implement DST sustainably, we have been working from both a bottom-up and top-down approach. The main barriers include access to training and DST-related knowledge. Thus, we are developing a course for tour guides, which will be delivered online. Crucially, the content will not focus on western astronomy, but will include topics on indigenous astronomy in Southern Africa and light pollution, and will also be made adaptable for other countries.
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is so far the first and only large-scale telescope to arrive in Namibia, in operation since 2002. Plans of building more telescopes in the country, such as the African Millimetre Telescope (AMT) and a part of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) of telescopes are currently underway. In addition to strengthening international VLBI science, the AVN will help develop skills and institutional capacity needed to optimise African participation in the upcoming Square Kilometre Array.
The AMT will bring with it many more opportunities for capacity-building, via a Social Impact Plan to maximise the societal benefits brought about by the future observatory. One of the main aspects of this Plan is to have a clear understanding of the needs and wants of Namibian society, especially in relation to education as well as science, technology, and innovation. With these important contexts in place, we can facilitate cooperation and support from the Namibian government, while ensuring that our goals are in line with national documents like the Namibian Vision 2030, the 5th National Development Plan, and the new Space Science and Technology Policy 2021-30.
In further detail, the AMT Social Impact Plan takes a multi-disciplinary approach to setting the scene for astronomy and sustainable development in Namibia. The Plan includes several projects, including bringing a Mobile Planetarium to every school in the country; creating materials for schools; teacher training; bringing international astronomy training programmes to Namibia; mentorship, scholarship, and fellowship programmes; and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge. In all, sustainability is our utmost priority and by incorporating these different efforts we hope to inspire a new generation of scientists in Namibia.
Finally, we are also using astronomy as a means for capacity-building via educating tour guides and promoting dark sky tourism (DST) to relevant stakeholders. DST offers many benefits: heritage is preserved and celebrated; tour guides learn about astronomy and complement their earnings; meanwhile tourists engage in awe-inspiring activities while learning about topics like indigenous astronomy and light pollution.
In order to implement DST sustainably, we have been working from both a bottom-up and top-down approach. The main barriers include access to training and DST-related knowledge. Thus, we are developing a course for tour guides, which will be delivered online. Crucially, the content will not focus on western astronomy, but will include topics on indigenous astronomy in Southern Africa and light pollution, and will also be made adaptable for other countries.
URL
www.hannahsdalgleish.com
Poster file