[AstroNet] Big news! IAU development office to come to South Africa!

[Kevin Govender]

Greetings all
The past few years have been very active in terms of astronomy education 
and outreach with the International Year of Astronomy and numerous 
associated activities all over the world. During this time the 
International Astronomical Union (IAU) developed and approved a 10 year 
plan for the global development of astronomy. This plan, entitled 
"Astronomy for the Developing World" would be realised, amongst other 
things, through the establishment of an Office for Astronomy 
Development. Towards the end of 2009 a call went out for potential 
hosts. Early in 2010 South Africa was amongst 20 proposals from all over 
the world which reached the IAU. Today the big news of the selected host 
was announced - the IAU's International Office for Astronomy Development 
will be coming to South Africa!!

The fact that this office is coming to Africa has great implications for 
the development of astronomy across the continent. In the spirit of the 
IAU's strategic plan this consequently has implications for the 
development of the continent in general! South Africa has always played 
a significant role amongst the developing world and is now being given 
the opportunity to host this prestigious office which has the potential 
to impact positively on all developing nations, in Africa and beyond. We 
must use this opportunity well! The office will be hosted at the 
headquarters of the South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town, 
a research facility of the National Research Foundation, and the 
Director will be selected from applicants from across the world.

Astronomy remains one of the most inspiring of all sciences and has the 
potential not only to spark a curiosity about the universe in which we 
live but also to unite the world under a common quest for knowledge and 
understanding. The next 10 years will seek to realise this potential - 
to broaden the minds of our children and open our hearts to the fact 
that we are all united under human curiosity and thought.

This announcement (links below) marks the start of a renewed journey of 
the development of astronomy across the world - with an underlying 
spirit that astronomy is one of the most extraordinarily powerful tools 
for our own development as a society of human beings!

Strength to all! Forward...

Links:
Announcement by the IAU: 
http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/detail/iau1003/
NRF press release: http://www.nrf.ac.za/news_articles.php?nid=67
SAAO press release: 
http://www.saao.ac.za/no_cache/public-info/news/news/article/181/16/