Press Release

NAS RA V. Ambartsumian Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO)
Press release 15.10.2023

BAO EXPANDS ITS INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

A cooperation agreement will be signed between the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS). The AUASS represents the field of Astronomy across the entire Arab world, including 22 countries. Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among the countries where Astronomy is well-developed. Areg Mickaelian, director of the BAO, has been invited to the AUASS 14th Arab Conference to be held in Sharjah, UAE on November 13-16. He will present the keynote talk on “Big Data in Astronomy”. During that time, a cooperation agreement between BAO and AUASS is planned to be signed. Prof. Hamid Al-Naimiy (UAE) and Dr. Awni Khasawneh (Jordan) represent AUASS and University of Sharjah.

Since 2015, the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory has been hosting the South West and Central Asian Regional Office of Astronomy for Development and coordinates the development of Astronomy in this large region. Moreover, in 2018 a cooperation agreement was signed between the IAM HACA and the Pan-Arab Regional Astronomical Centers in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

This year marked the first attempt to organize the Interregional Astronomical Summer School (1IRASS) in Byurakan, which was attended by students and young astronomers from a number of Arab countries. The BAO will contribute to scientific programs in Arab countries, training of astronomical personnel, astronomical lectures in various countries, development of the pan-Arab virtual observatory project and other initiatives.

Meline Asryan