Prof Amare Abebe, research director at the Centre for Space Research at the North-West University (NWU), has been elected as the new president of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS).
AfAS was established to create a globally competitive and collaborative astronomy community in Africa.
Prof Abebe’s focus will be on expanding membership, fostering research collaboration and enhancing astronomy education and outreach across Africa.
He highlights the need to increase membership across African nations, noting that Africa, with a population of nearly 1,5 billion people, has about 500 active AfAS members.
“To put matters in perspective, in the United States, with 340 million people, the American Astronomical Society has more than 6 000 members, and in the United Kingdom, with 68 million people, the Royal Astronomical Society has over 3 000 members.”
Prof Abebe also emphasises the importance of building stronger ties between AfAS, governments, industries and international organisations to foster interdisciplinary research, industry partnerships and policy support.
“Out of the more than 50 countries in Africa, no more than 20 of them have any meaningful astronomy programme. There is a lot of room for growth, and there needs to be enhanced public awareness of astronomy across Africa, particularly in underserved regions.”
He identifies outreach programmes, educational initiatives and integration into school curricula as key to increasing interest in astronomy. “Improving data-sharing infrastructure across African nations, possibly facilitating better collaboration and access to global astronomical databases, will lead to enhanced collaboration,” he says.
Prof Abebe mentions the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, led by South Africa, as an example of infrastructure that supports collaboration between African countries and scientists.
“One of AfAS’s objectives is to bring leading African and international scientists together during its different annual activities to foster collaboration and create professional networking opportunities for its emerging astronomers and students.”
He stresses the need to use traditional media and digital platforms to raise awareness. He says active outreach and education campaigns, especially in astronomically speaking underdeveloped regions, as well as formal workshops and conferences, are a great way to introduce astronomy to future astronomers.
Prof Abebe notes that astronomy has long captured human imagination and encourages critical thinking. “On the practical side, it encourages interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), fostering a skilled workforce and driving technological innovation. Astronomy has become a highly collaborative endeavour, enhancing collaborations among people from different cultural, geographical, and socio-economic backgrounds.”