Adaptive Capacity Building & Training Approach Proposed for the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia in Amman Saleh AL-SHIDHANI1) , Awni KASAWNEH 2), 2)
1) Sultan Qaboos University, Oman The Regional Centre for Space Science & Technology Education for Western Asia, Jordan
[email protected]
The UN Regional Centers play vital roles in bridging the space science gaps between developed and developing countries. This paper presents an adaptive approach to create a capacity building workshops and training program to match the current and future needs of Arabic speaking countries. The approach is proposed to a newly inaugurated center in Amman and is aimed to deepen the initial exploration of the regional demands, academic program and resources. Two online surveys will be used to explore the availability of field experts in the region and to probe member states demands for specialized training on many fields such as remote sensing & Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite communications, satellite meteorology and atmospheric sciences. The surveys' outcome is archived into dynamically updated database to be utilized in the economic development of Arabic training course material and in the efficient planning of capacity building workshops. Furthermore, this should inform the center about locally available resources, instructors and teaching experience as well as inform course developer/instructors about potential students in different modules, their backgrounds, and past work experiences. Statistical presentation of the results can facilitate the refinement of the work plan and can assist decision making. Key Words: Capacity Building, Space Application Training
1.
Introduction
depends on the existing infrastructure and available human resources, this paper suggests an adaptive approach to help overcoming such challenging process, by gathering vital regional information that should facilitate the process of creating demand-matching capacity building workshops and training programs contributing to sustainable development of the Arabic speaking countries.
Following UNISPACE'82 recommendation, the United Nations Programme on Space Applications organized three regional meetings in India (1985), Mexico (1986), Nigeria (1987), and an international meeting United Kingdom (1989) to discuss the development of indigenous capability in space science and technology. In its resolution 45/72 of 1990, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to support the establishment of regional Centers for Space Science and Technology Education in the developing countries1-2). So far collectively UN Regional Centers play vital roles in offering more than 200 globally spread development activities such as specialized workshops, seminars, training courses, postgraduates programs with many existing institutes to accelerate the developments of space science and technology applications especially in space emerging nations. More than 11000 people benefited from the above activities3).
Fig.1. The distribution of the regional center globally [UNOOSA website].
2. The principal goal of each centre is the development of the skills and knowledge of university educators and research and applications scientists, through 9 months of courses (phase I) focused on rigorous theory, research, applications, field exercises, and followed (phase II) by one year pilot projects in those aspects of space science and technology that can contribute to sustainable development in each country.
The RCSSTEWA
The new Regional Centre for Space Science & Technology Education for Western Asia (RCSSTEWA), Jordan was inaugurated in 29th of May 2012 in Amman and is affiliated to the United Nations through a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. The center also officially endorsed from many regional Arabic states by agreement of establishment and academically supported by several Memoranda of
Since the full establishment of the center is a costly,
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Understanding with regional universities and institutes. The center is currently hosted in the Royal Jordanian Geographic Center and is aimed to deepen the initial exploration of the regional demands, academic program and resources. The initial priority disciplines are: 1. space-based remote sensing, 2. satellite communications 3. satellite meteorology 4. space sciences
many crucial areas such as: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)
To minimize overlap with others regional centers, the RCSSTRWA will focus in developing Arabic version of the educational curricula proposed by the United Nations Programme on Space Applications.
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Online surveys and assessments are increasingly used for various purposes with many advantageous features5). Two online surveys under construction to deal with the above limitations and more trailed towards the planning requirements of the regional center. The surveys will be used to explore the availability of field experts in the region and to probe member states demand for specialized training on all priority areas as well as available resources, instructors, their recent teaching experience, expected number of trainees and their backgrounds.
The Adaptive Approach
The emerging knowledge worker era demands to create a capacity building workshops and training program to match the current and future needs of Arabic speaking countries. Since the full establishment of the center is a costly and challenging process, such information is vital to reduce the overall expense of instituting tailored short courses and more importantly, the planned postgraduate joint programs. Statistical presentation of the results will be passed to the steering committee (i.e. Governing Board: the overall policymaking body consists of Member States of the region) to formulate an informed work plan. A statistical summary can be passed to the governing board to assist decision making. 4.
Space technology, Geographic information systems application Human space technology Natural resources management and environmental monitoring Navigation, positioning, timing Satellite-aided search and rescue Space law and Atmospheric sciences 4).
4.1. Resources Online Survey This survey aimed at gathering detailed information about existing academic and research programs in existing institutes in the region. Also it will probe existing facilities, human resources, potential fellowship/scholarship resources, near future expansion and any initiatives for regional collaborations. The survey categorized the information into 12 space related fields namely space-based remote sensing, geographic information systems application, navigation, positioning, timing, natural resources management and environmental monitoring, satellite communications, satellite meteorology, space sciences, space technology, human space technology, satellite-aided search and rescue, space law and atmospheric sciences.
Online Surveys
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) "prepared 12 background papers [for UNISPACE III, July 1999 in Vienna] providing a comprehensive survey of the current and future state of space science, technology and applications and the promotion of international cooperation, as well as information on United Nations space related activities".
4.2. Demands Online Survey The second survey aimed at gathering detailed information about the current and near future demands for specialized workshops, training courses, postgraduates programs, potential 1-year national projects, number of expected trainees, and their backgrounds. The survey similarly will categorized the demands into the above 12 space related fields with information to help optimum scheduling of capacity building activities.
Closer look at the above educational directory, it shows that the directory has a number of limitations especially in Western Asia and the Arabic world: 1) Only 55% of Arab states are documented. 2) The directory is not far-reaching, i.e. some states with significant space programs e.g. UAE and Algeria are not listed. 3) Few of the 55% states listed without useful details. 4) The directory details are 12 years old and require essential update as programs frequently changes. 5) The questionnaire need to be extended to cover other issues, e.g. collaboration with developed countries and information about national fellowships & scholarships and available human resources. 6) The questionnaire is a static and therefore the update is a slow process. 7) The questionnaire probed only 4 priority areas out of the
5.
Surveys' Outcomes
The outcomes of the above surveys will be formulated into dynamically updated database that can be utilized to inform the development of Arabic training course material and to plan capacity building workshops in an economic and efficient manner. Furthermore, this should provide the center with lists of 2
locally available resources, instructors and recent teaching experience as well as informs course developer/instructors about potential number of students in different modules, their backgrounds, and past work experiences.
8.
Conclusion
The presented adaptive approach is expected to facilitate the development of the regional center in effective and efficient manner, and will assist in bringing the center to the existing institutes and to establish complementary framework of corporations. We believe that survey outcomes will help greatly in refining the center work-plan and will enable it to target the current demands of the member states in fairly direct way. The online survey is yet to be implemented and tested but upon successful responses from member states, it can be enhanced further and potentially can be utilized to serve other regional centers afterwards.
Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge and appreciate the support from Sultan Qaboos University and from UNOOSA without which the participation on The 3rd Nano-Satellite Symposium may not been possible.
References: 1. Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education (affiliated to the United Nations) UNOOSA website : http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/SAP/centres/index.html 2. UNOOSA Education Curriculum webpages at http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/SAP/centres/education-curriculum.html 3. UN questionnaire on "Education, Training, Research and Fellowship Opportunities
Directory,
available
at
the
following
url:
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/SAP/eddir/index.html#Questionnaire 4. Balogh Werner, Activities and Status of the Regional Centers presented on the Meeting of the Directors of the Regional Centers for Space Science and Technology Education in Amman May 2012, available at url: http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/sap/centres/RegionalCentres_DirectorsMeetin g_31May2012.pdf 5. Al-Shidhani, Saleh S. Online Assessment as an Effective Evaluation Tool for Large Size Astronomy Elective Courses, ICEL2006 Conference, Canada, 2006.
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