4 axes for implementing the "space education" program

A plan to include "space science" in school curricula

• "Emirates Space" and "NASA" will conduct field studies in space biology.

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The Emirates Space Agency has identified four main axes for the implementation of the "space education" program, which aims to build an integrated educational and scientific structure that suits the needs of the national space sector, the most important of which is the scholarship program inside and outside the country, and cooperation with local universities to develop scientific degrees in the field of space, pointing to the existence of cooperation With the Ministry of Education, to update and develop school curricula by including subjects related to space science.

In detail, the agency confirmed that it seeks through its educational program to establish an integrated educational and scientific structure, through the preparation, development and qualification of national cadres, to encourage them to work in the space sector in the country, in line with the needs of the national space sector.

The agency stated - in a series of informative tweets that it launched on its official account on the social networking platform "Twitter" - that, through the educational program, it is attracting distinguished students from among citizens of the country, to obtain scientific degrees in the field of space inside and outside the country.

The program also seeks to nurture emerging talents and develop the skills of students and teachers, and develop them in the field of science, engineering, technology and mathematics, pointing out that it also works to spread awareness and knowledge in the field of space to inspire students to study the required space majors.

The agency said that the space education program in the agency is based on contributing to building an integrated educational and scientific structure that suits the needs of the national space sector, and is based on four main axes: The first is to develop education in the space sector through the scholarship program inside and outside the country, and the second is to provide educational programs and workshops to spread awareness. Rehabilitation and training of school and university students in the field of space, in addition to plans for cooperation with local universities to create scientific degrees in the field of space, such as a master's degree in space science and its law, and finally, cooperation with the Ministry of Education to update and develop school curricula by including topics related to space science.

She added: “It is important that the educational curricula for the various educational levels include materials explaining the nature of space and the nature of the planets, as cooperation with educational authorities exists, especially as there are universities that have directed towards allocating courses and programs related to the space and aviation sector, as is the case in Khalifa University, and that The United Arab Emirates University launched a postgraduate program in remote sensing, in addition to the University of Sharjah launching a master's program in space and astrophysics.

She emphasized that there are students who participate in scholarship programs abroad, and some of them participate through the center in research projects within the graduation projects, or as part of the scholarship programs for the United States of America during the summer period.

The agency oversees the "Arab Space Geniuses" program, which was recently launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to be the first intensive specialized scientific training program to embrace and nurture an elite of distinguished talents and remarkable talents from the Arab world. To train them in the field of space science and technology, and to qualify them to work in the space industries sector.

The program targets Arab youth from specialized learners, researchers, scientists and innovators who are "people with creative minds", "everyone with a great passion in the field of space science and its applications", and "those who can dream of the impossible and embrace aspirations beyond the limits of the sky."

The agency signed a cooperation agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in October 2018, setting out in its frameworks cooperation between the two sides in the field of research related to sub-orbital missions, low Earth orbit, and manned exploration missions around the ocean and the surface of the Moon and beyond, as well as training astronauts. Emirati space services will be conducted by specialists and experts in "NASA", and to discuss opportunities for the UAE's use of advanced facilities on board the International Space Station, and the state's contribution to lunar exploration projects.

Under the agreement, the two parties will cooperate on research projects within the "Mars Scientific City" scheduled to be opened by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, and provide an environment that simulates living conditions on the planet Mars to conduct advanced research and studies in this regard.

They will also explore opportunities for conducting field studies and research in space biology, physical sciences, and human research within the city project in coordination with the center, in order to benefit from its facilities and the capabilities of the Simulation Center for Human Exploration Research, which is a unique facility specialized in studying the effects of spaceflight on humans.

5 conditions for "space training"

The UAE Space Agency has set five main conditions for joining the space training program: The first is that the student must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.

The second is for him to be undergraduate or postgraduate students in one of the following fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a discipline related to NASA's research priorities.

And the third is that he has a GPA of 3 out of 4 or equivalent.

And the fourth is that the student has high academic capabilities and has a clear interest in the space program.

The last condition is to demonstrate proficiency in the English language (study at a university abroad), or to score 6.0 in IELTS or 78/550 in TOEFL.

• "Space education aims to build an educational infrastructure that suits the needs of the space sector."

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