The European Space Agency Education Office has selected the Barcelona candidacy, which leads the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, to organize next spring the "4th Symposium on Space Educational Activities". The event, scheduled for the third week of April 2021, will attract around 300 people to the city of Barcelona, including students, teaching staff and professionals from around the world. It is jointly organized with the three technical schools Escola Superior d’Enginyeries Industrial, Aeroespacial i Audiovisual de Terrassa (ESEIAAT), Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de Telecomunicació de Barcelona (ETSETB), and Escola d'Enginyeria de Telecomunicació i Aeroespacial de Castelldefels (EETAC), and also counts with the participation of the The Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC).
Since its first edition, the SSEA has emerged as the benchmark symposium discussing the current and future state of space education activities in Europe and worldwide. The course aims to stimulate education professionals to explain their experiences related to space education, both at school and university level, and to promote that students and young professionals share the results of their research. It is also intended to create a space for debate, boosting networking and the exchange of initiatives and resources for the young space scientists and engineers. It is expected to attract educators and university students, as well as those responsible for projects that help to bridge the activities carried out during high school and high school with the university.
One of the main goals of SSEA 2021 is that, beyond being aimed at students, it will also be organized by the same students, engineers and scientists who will lead the future of the space sector in Europe, creating a balance between professionals, masters and undergraduate students. The proposal also places special emphasis on promoting space education in the world and on meeting goals of equity, gender equality, diversity and sustainability. Our astronomer Anna Ferré-Mateu is one of the members of the organizing committee.
To enrich the proposal, the organizing team thought that other entities in the sector had to be involved. For this reason, the event will also feature the participation of local and European companies interested in space education efforts and their results, and it is also working to include other institutions and organizations that help to make Barcelona's rich space ecosystem visible and to generate positive synergies between different actors and ESA. An equally important goal of the symposium is to convince academic organizations, industry and institutions of the importance of hands-on activities and training and learning opportunities focused on preparing the next generation.
You can find more information soon on the symposium website and on the twitter account @ssea2021
