Public and media are invited to the inaugural conference of the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD) that will be held at the Centro Cultural de Cascais on Thursday 5 May 2016, at 14:00. The conference will be hosted by Câmara Municipal de Cascais.

The event will mark the launch of the official website and also the signature of the memorandum of understanding by representatives from Portugal, Brazil, São Tome and Principe, Cape Verde and Mozambique. There will be discussion of the challenges and approaches to improving cooperation amongst Portuguese speaking communities in the field of astronomy and space sciences.

PLOAD was officially established on 13 August 2015, during the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Honolulu, Hawai’i, by the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) and four other coordinating offices in Jordan, Armenia, Nigeria, and Colombia. It is hosted at the Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia (NUCLIO), in collaboration with the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal. It will deal with all aspects relating to Portuguese language and culture.

Language Expertise Centres are offices based around the world with objectives similar to those of the OAD but with a regional focus (to further the use of astronomy as a tool for development by mobilizing the human and financial resources necessary to realise the field’s scientific, technological and cultural benefits to society). These offices work closely with the OAD to implement the IAU Strategic Plan. The “Regions” on which they focus could be geographical (neighbouring countries) or cultural (language or cultural similarities spread over a large geographic region).

The event is free and open to media and interested parties. To register your interest, please visit: https://goo.gl/sV7riJ

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 10 000 professional astronomers from almost 100 countries. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

The IAU established the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) in partnership with the South African National Research Foundation (NRF). The OAD was officially opened on 16 April 2011 at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town, South Africa. It was tasked with the implementation of the IAU Strategic Plan 2010 – 2020 “Astronomy for the Developing World - Building from IYA2009”. This will include establishing regional offices and three astronomy-for-development “Task Forces”. The OAD coordinates an annual open Call for Proposals seeking innovative projects for each of the task forces: Universities and Research (TF1); Children and Schools (TF2); and Public Outreach (TF3).

Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia (NUCLIO) is a nonprofit organisation created by professional astronomers with the aim of promoting science outreach and education. NUCLIO coordinates the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP), one of the largest teacher training movements in the world, with the participation of more than 100 countries. Since its establishment, the organisation has reached directly over 10 000 students and 2000 teachers. In Portugal NUCLIO is responsible for iconic educational projects such as the International Asteroid Search Campaign, Universe Awareness, Astronomers Without Borders and Dark Sky Rangers.

Links

• PLOAD website
• NUCLIO website
• OAD website: www.astro4dev.org
• The IAU Strategic Plan 2010 – 2020 “Astronomy for the Developing World - Building from IYA2009”

Contacts

Sara Anjos
PLOAD Coordination
NUCLIO
Portugal
Cell: +351 936 679 210
Email: sara.anjos@nuclio.pt

Thilina Heenatigala
Press Officer
NUCLIO
Sri Lanka
Cell: +94 716 245 545
Email: heenatigala@nuclio.pt

Rosa Doran
President of the Executive Council
NUCLIO
Portugal
Cell: +351 966 781 264
Email: rosa.doran@nuclio.pt

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 761
Cell: +49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars@eso.org