Speech by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah
Official Launch of the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology Website
The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. His Highness envisioned the academy as one of the leading institutions in the field of space and astronomy, and a scientific, research, heritage, and educational center that would play an important role in disseminating and developing astronomy and space sciences in the UAE and beyond.
We take pride in what the academy has achieved over the past years. It has become a cultural and tourist destination that attracts a wide range of students, professionals, researchers, and visitors. The academy includes state-of-the-art facilities and exhibitions such as the planetarium, the astronomy exhibition hall, space observatory, space in the Quran exhibition, and cosmic garden.
Today, the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) is considered a leading educational institution that diligently implements the UAE’s strategies and directions in the field of space exploration. It aims to establish a holistic educational infrastructure that focuses on space sciences and technology, cooperates with the University of Sharjah to offer academic programs in space sciences and train Emiratis to work in that field in the UAE.
This aim can be achieved through the academy’s scientific and academic departments, including the Research and Scientific Projects Department, which boasts a high-energy astrophysics laboratory, the CubeSat satellite laboratory, the space and ionosphere laboratory, the atmospheric and climate science laboratory, the radio astronomy laboratory, and the artificial intelligence laboratory. Additionally, it houses the data analysis center, the national observatory, the latest observatories for astronomical research, and advanced astronomical monitoring facilities.
We aspire with confidence for the academy to become, with its strategies and scientific capabilities, a globally renowned scientific center that competes with the most prestigious space and astronomy institutions and contributes to providing outstanding services for advancing and developing human astronomical knowledge.
