The IAU Symposia, the flagship scientific gatherings of the IAU, aim to significantly advance the field and explore the current key questions and/or emerging concepts through a program of invited reviews and a range of invited, contributed and poster papers, as well as ample time for discussion. After a rigorous selection process, the 2020 programme of IAU Symposia has been decided.

The IAU’s Evaluation Committee, which is chaired by the IAU Assistant General Secretary and composed of the six IAU Vice-Presidents and the nine Division Presidents, was faced with the challenge of selecting and recommending 9 Symposia for approval by the IAU Executive Committee. Regrettably, due to the volume of proposals received, many good proposals could not be selected.

The locations of the 2020 Symposia range from Japan to Argentina and will encompass topics from many key areas of contemporary astronomy. The recommended list of IAU Symposia for 2020, which was approved at the annual IAU Executive Committee meeting in Rome last week, is as follows:

• IAUS 359: Galaxy Evolution and Feedback Across Different Environments
• IAUS 360: Astronomical Polarimetry 2020 — New Era of Multi-Wavelength Polarimetry
• IAUS 361: Massive Stars Near & Far
• IAUS 362: Predictive Power of Computational Astrophysics as a Discovery Tool
• IAUS 363: Neutron Star Astrophysics at the Crossroads: Magnetars and the Multimessenger Revolution
• IAUS 364: Multi-scale (time and mass) Dynamics of Space Objects
• IAUS 365: Dynamics of Solar and Stellar Convection Zones and Atmospheres
• IAUS 366: The Origin of Outflows in Evolved Stars
• IAUS 367: Education and Heritage in the Era of Big Data in Astronomy. The first steps on the IAU 2020–2030 Strategic Plan

Further details of the approved meetings, such as dates, locations and the IAU Division coordinating each Symposium, can be found on the Future IAU Meetings web page.

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 13 500 professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, 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.

Contacts

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