IAU OAD Supported Initiative Wins Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement

Red de Estudiantes Colombianos en Astronomía (RECA) Educación, a Colombian non-profit that brings science, astronomy and planetary science to schools and communities across Colombia has been awarded the 2025 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement. The award was presented at the the Europlanet Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Science (EPSC–DPS) Joint […]

Annual Report 2024-25

The Office of Astronomy for Development has published the Annual Report for 2024-25. It covers highlights from the year including the first IAU General Assembly in Africa, two comments in Nature Astronomy, showcase of our 2024 projects, our (re)new(ed) full moon mashup webinar series and more. The report provides updates from the Regional Offices and […]

When Stars Lead the Way: Astrotourism and Sustainable Development in Namibia

This post is a personal reflection by Dr. Joyful Mdhluli on her trip to Namibia. During the IAU Symposium 399 on Indigenous Astronomy in the Space Age (7–11 July 2025), I delivered a presentation on the role of astrotourism as a tool to promote dark and quiet skies. I discussed how astrotourism can serve as […]

IAU President, Professor Will Benz, visits the OAD

In late September 2025, the OAD had the opportunity to host a special visitor, Professor Willy Benz, President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). His visit, which took place from 25–28 September 2025, was filled with meaningful engagements that celebrated astronomy’s power to connect science, society, and development. Professor Benz was in South Africa as […]