From March 25 to 28, 2019, United Nations/Jordan Workshop: Global Partnership in Space Exploration and Innovation was held in Amman, Jordan. The workshop was co-organized by United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia (RCSSTEWA). More than two hundred (200) scientists, engineers, educators and government representatives from forty-three (43) countries attended it to discuss how to create new global partnership, construct a new model in space exploration international cooperation so as to support the implement of “2030 Sustainable Development Agenda” and benefit all human beings. Mr. Weng Jingnong, Executive Director of the Centre and Dean of International School of Beihang University was invited to attend the workshop.
During the meeting, Mr. Weng Jingnong delivered a report titled “ARC-New Global Partnership for SDG and SPACE2030” and Ms. Cui Yizhuo reported on “Promoting Women in Space Application Education”, elaborating on the thinking and suggestions about how to optimize the global partnership network from respectively two aspects: Alliance of Regional Centres (Affiliated to the United Nations) (ARC) promoting the sustainable development and RCSSTEAP playing an active role in educating female space science and technology talents.
On the afternoon of March 25, UNOOSA organized Meeting of the Directors of the Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education (affiliated to the United Nations) to discuss the future development of ARC. Ms. Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA, Mr. Ganiyu I. Agbaje, Director of ARCSSTE-E, Mr. Anas Emran, Director of CRASTE-LF (Morocco), Mr. Awni Khasawneh, Director of RCSSTEWA, Mr. Weng Jingnong, Executive Director of RCSSTEAP, Ms. Jiang Hui, Division Director of Department of International Cooperation, CNSA attended the meeting. Mr. Senthil Kumar, Director of CSSTEAP joined the meeting through Skype. The meeting was hosted by Mr. Ibrahim Albaddawi, Vice Director of RCSSTEWA.
During the meeting, Ms. Simonetta Di Pippo highly appreciated the contribution made by the Regional Centres to cultivate young space science and technology talents. She pointed out that the initiative of ARC provided a good platform for each Regional Centre to gather force and share resources. The Regional Centres has jointly conducted plenty of fruitful work in the hope that the construction and development of the courses could be innovative and keep pace with times. The Directors of the Regional Centres briefly introduced the work progress of their Centres for the past one (1) year and expressed their expectation to enhance continuously the cooperation in resource sharing, course construction, exchanges and training. Meanwhile, Mr. Weng Jingnong indicated that, covering seventy-three (73) countries, ARC, as a new-type partnership, would have positive influence in the sustainable development in space science and technology. He suggested that ARC should build an optimized operation mechanism under the direction of UNOOSA, and attend related meetings as observer of UNCOPUOS.
On the afternoon of March 28, the Chinese delegation visited Jordan University of Science and Technology, and conducted deep communication with its President around the topic of improving the exchange of professors and students .
