Within the activities of the Expo 2020

As part of the UAEU s participation in the global ‎event "Expo 2020" Dubai, the National Space ‎Science and Technology Centre (NSSTC) and ‎College of Science co-organized series of events ‎and activities during the "Space Week" that took ‎place from 17 to 27 October 2021. The activities ‎included a series of workshops and events to ‎showcase research and development in various ‎areas of astronomy and space sciences, with the ‎participation of students, faculty members and ‎visitors. ‎

Prof. Ahmed Murad, Deputy Commissioner-‎General of the UAEU Pavilion at Expo 2020 & ‎Associate Provost for Research, explained that the ‎NSSTC and College of Science "Space Week" ‎activities were organized in conjunction with the ‎Space Week, one of the ten thematic weeks ‎organized by Expo 2020 Dubai under the theme of ‎‎ Man and Planet Earth Program . It aims at ‎discussing the benefits, solutions, and challenges of ‎exploring beyond the orbit of the planet, and the ‎opportunities for exploration and the development ‎of space science‏.‏

‎ In the backdrop of the emergence and rapid ‎growth of UAE s Space Sector, the UAE ‎University s collaboration with various country ‎pavilions, resulting in its active participation in a ‎number of Space Week events proves as a ‎testament of UAEU s contribution towards the ‎development of Space Science & Technology R&D ‎and Education ecosystem in the UAE and its ‎commitment to help stimulate globally recognized ‎space-related activities in the country . Dr. Aquib ‎Moin, Associate Professor of Physics, UAEU ‎

The UAEU pavilion in Expo 2020 conducted three ‎activities on research and development in radio ‎astronomy in collaboration with the Curtin ‎University, Australia. It included discussions on ‎innovative sensor systems, ground infrastructure ‎for radio astronomy and space science ‎observations and measurements, emerging ‎technologies, collaborative multi-station ‎operations, academic and technological research ‎and development, public awareness, and future ‎prospects‏.‏‎ The event was hosted by the Australian ‎pavilion.‎

The French pavilion hosted an event on "Remote ‎Sensing & Earth Observation and Workshop", ‎which was an event to showcase current research ‎and development in the field of remote sensing and ‎earth observation. The event featured talks and ‎discussions on topics related to remote sensing & ‎earth observation. As part of the event, a ‎‎"workshop" on earth observation with high-‎resolution imagery was conducted by NSSTC ‎experts.‎‏ ‏

The "Education in Space Science & Technology: A ‎road to youth empowerment" event focused on the ‎strategic importance and the various elements of ‎the academic knowledge required to support the ‎rapidly growing global space sector. The innovative ‎methods for effective space education and the ‎content that must be delivered were also discussed. ‎Human Spaceflight and Robotic Space ‎Exploration aimed to highlight the excitement and ‎scientific value of manned space missions and ‎introduce the audience to various aspects such as ‎the astronaut's experience, the possibility of ‎discovery, and the importance of human presence ‎in outer space‏.‏‎ These events were hosted by the ‎Switzerland pavilion.‎

In addition, the above two, UAEU also participated ‎in the event on "Space Debris: Mitigation and ‎Prevention" hosted by the Switzerland pavilion, in ‎which it sheds light on the damage that space ‎debris can cause to space assets. The participants ‎discussed innovative ways to mitigate space debris. ‎With the advent of the space age, humans ‎deployed thousands of satellites in orbit around the ‎Earth, which not only enabled scientific discovery ‎but also provided a range of important services to ‎people, however, the result of this is the constant ‎increase in the amount of space junk‏.‏‎ ‎

Under a collaboration between the NSSTC | College ‎of Science, UAEU and the Intercultural and ‎Communications Institute (ISIT), France, a ‎number of activities were conducted that brought ‎together liberal arts and sciences to explore space in ‎the shape of a multi-faceted cultural and scientific ‎event. A French arts & space documentary: Inner ‎Telescope , which presents the deployment of ‎artwork at the International Space Station was also ‎screened at this event. It addressed how humanity ‎will deal with cultural, social, and communication ‎issues as we prepare to move forward with a future ‎inhabitation of Mars. The NSSTC experts also ‎presented a workshop on the design of the satellite ‎missions. The event aimed to provide a hands-on ‎experience of the design of a space mission to the ‎participants‏.‏‎ These events were hosted by the ‎France pavilion.‎