The 2nd Annual Conference and the General Assembly of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS-2022)
Cape Town, South Africa, 10 March 2022— The second annual conference of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) will take place as a hybrid event from 14-18 March 2022. The conference will focus on the science, outreach, communication, and education activities from Astronomy in Africa. It aims to enhance further collaborations among countries in Africa and the rest of the world. Another focus will be looking at the status of astronomy infrastructure, AfAS-led flagship projects, astronomy for development, and initiatives to attract and retain youth and women in astronomy by strengthening existing activities in the field. The conference is organised by AfAS in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), the African Science Stars Awareness Publication (ASSAP), the African Planetarium Association (APA), and the African-European Radio Astronomy Platform (AERAP).
The meeting will bring together over 250 participants, with some 40 participants attending in-person at SAAO in Cape Town and the remainder attending virtually. While this is an African Society meeting, registrations reveal that some attendees will be from other countries. This annual conference attracts representatives from government, policymakers, inter-governmental, and other international partners from across Africa and the diaspora. The five-day conference will range from science and education, development and outreach to demonstrate that astronomy on the continent is vibrant, internationally competitive, also has the potential to expand and flourish into the future. Through the AfAS conference, members of the African astronomy community showcase their work and interact with potential collaborators and partners from Africa as well as outside the continent.
Since the Astronomy in Africa business meeting, held in Cape Town at the same venue in March 2019 when AfAS was relaunched, the last day of the AfAS conference is dedicated to the first General Assembly. The term of office of the current Executive Committee elected in 2019 ends on 31 March 2022; a new Executive Committee will therefore be elected during the General Assembly. The General Assembly will also allow the AfAS Executive Committee and its sub-committees together with its partners (ASSAP & AERAP) to report on activities over the last three years and the planned activities for the coming three years.
Registration for the conference is free and open to astronomers from Africa and the rest of the world; several keynote speakers who are internationally recognised have been invited as well as the Ministry of Science and Innovation in South Africa.
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More information is available at https://www.africanastronomicalsociety.org/afas2022-ga/.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Charles Takalana, Head of Secretariat
+27 81 481 7416
charles.takalana@afasociety.org
Or
Yunus Manjoo, Project Manager
+27 83 326 7695
The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) is a Pan-African Professional Society of Astronomers and is a not-for-profit company (NPC) registered in South Africa. Its vision is to create and support a globally competitive and collaborative astronomy community in Africa, and its mission is to be the voice of astronomy in Africa and to contribute to addressing the challenges faced by Africa through the promotion and advancement of astronomy. The key objective of AfAS is to develop Astronomy and Human Capacity throughout the continent of Africa through a vibrant and active Society. AfAS is currently funded mainly by the South African Department of Science and Innovation. The Office of the Secretariat of AfAS is based at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), located in Cape Town.