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Scientific Program

Day 1 — Monday, 9 February 2026

 Time Session Title  Speaker Location
09:00 – 10:00 Registration & Coffee   ---- SAASST Reception & Conference Room Entrance
  Opening Ceremony   ----
10:00 – 10:05 Forum Opening MC: Mr. Ammar Abdulla — Research Analyst, SAASST SAASST Conference Room
10:05 – 10:10 Welcome Speech H.E. Prof. Esameldin Agamy — Chancellor, University of Sharjah

SAASST Conference Room

 
10:10 – 10:20 Opening Address H.E. Prof. Hamid Al Naimiy —  Director General, SAASST SAASST Conference Room
10:20 – 10:25 Guest of Honour Address H.E. Lorenzo Fanara — Ambassador of Italy to the UAE SAASST Conference Room
10:25 – 10:35 Keynote Address Roberto Ragazzoni — President, INAF SAASST Conference Room
10:35 – 10:50 MoU Signing Ceremony    ---- SAASST 1st Floor
10:50 – 11:00 Group Photo    ---- SAASST 1st Floor
  Plenary Session I: UAE Radio Astronomy Experience Chair: Prof. Mashhoor Al Wardat — Director of Academic Affairs Department SAASST Conference Room
11:00 – 11:30    ---- Mr. Mohammed Rihan - Research Analyst, SAASST SAASST Conference Room
11:30 – 12:00    ---- Dr. Aquib Moin — Associate Professor, UAE University
Dr. Rim Fares — Associate Professor, UAE University
Prof. Satyendra Thoudam — Assistant Professor, Khalifa University		 SAASST Conference Room
  Plenary Session II: Italy Radio Astronomy Experience Chair: Yazan Al-Momany  — Scientific Attaché, Embassy of Italy in the UAE  
12:00 – 12:30    ---- Gianfranco Brunetti — Director, INAF – IRA Bologna SAASST Conference Room
12:30 – 13:00    ---- Tiziana Venturi — Research Director, INAF – IRA Bologna SAASST Conference Room
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Reception & Networking    ---- SAASST
14:00 – 15:00 Thematic Exchange Session I: Scientific Research & Operations

Chair: Simone Zaggia — Senior Researcher, INAF – OA Padova

Prof. Zouhair Benkhaldoun — Director of Astronomical Observatories, SAASST

Prof. Andrea Macciò — Professor, NYU Abu Dhabi

Isabella Pagano — Scientific Director, INAF

 SAASST Conference Room
15:00 – 16:00 Thematic Exchange Session II: Infrastructure, Technology & Instrumentation Engineering Chair: Marco Poloni — Junior Research Technologist, INAF – IRA 

Dr. Aquib Moin — Associate Professor, UAE University

Mr. Mohammed Al Zarooni — Facilities Support Engineer, SAASST

Mr. Mohammed Rihan — Research Analyst, SAASST

 SAASST Conference Room
16:00 – 16:20 Coffee Break    ---- SAASST Conference Room Entrance
  Thematic Exchange Session III: Radio Interference – Impact & Mitigation Chair: Prof. Andrea Macciò  
16:20 – 16:35     ---- Prof. Simonetta Di Pippo — Visiting Professor, NYU Abu Dhabi SAASST Conference Room
16:35 – 17:00     ---- Pietro Bolli — Director of Research Technologist, INAF – OA Arcetri SAASST Conference Room
17:00 – 20:00 SAASST Guided Tour     ---- SAASST Conference Room
20:00 – 22:00 Gala Dinner     ----     ----

 

Day 2 — Tuesday, 10 February 2026

 Time Session Title  Speaker Location
09:00 – 11:00 Technical Session I: Installation & Commissioning Jader Monari — Director of Research Technologist, INAF – IRA
Marco Poloni — Junior Research Technologist, INAF – IRA		 SAASST Smart Room
11:00 – 11:20 Coffee Break
 ----  SAASST Conference Room Entrance
 11:20 – 13:00 Technical Session II: Data Acquisition Systems  Renzo Nesti — Senior Research Technologist, INAF – OA Arcetri
Pietro Bolli — Director of Research Technologist, INAF – OA Arcetri
Giovanni Naldi — Junior Research Technologist, INAF – IRA		  SAASST Smart Room
 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Reception & Networking   ----  SAASST
 14:00 – 16:00  Technical Session III: Space Awareness Alessandro Rossi — Director of Research, INAF – OA Arcetri
Germano Bianchi — Senior Research Technologist, INAF – IRA
Giuseppe Pupillo — Senior Research Technologist, INAF – IRA 		  SAASST Smart Room
 16:00 – 16:20 Coffee Break   ----   SAASST Conference Room Entrance
 16:20 – 18:00 Technical Session IV: Computation (Correlation, Beamforming & Data Analysis)  Claudio Gheller — Senior Research Technologist, INAF – IRA
Matteo Stagni — Senior Lab Technician, INAF – IRA		  SAASST Smart Room

 

 

Day 3 — Wednesday, 11 February 2026

Time
 Session Title  Speaker  Location
09:30 – 11:00    Hands-on Session I: Academic Collaboration & Public Engagement  Chair: Marcello Giroletti — Director of Research, INAF – IRA  SAASST Smart Room
 11:00 – 11:20  Coffee Break     ----  SAASST Conference Room Entrance
 11:20 – 13:00  Hands-on Session II: Infrastructure & Technology Co-Development Opportunities  Chair: Marcello Giroletti — Director of Research, INAF – IRA  SAASST Smart Room
 13:00 – 14:00  Lunch Reception & Networking      ----  SAASST
   Closing Ceremony  MC: Yazan Al-Momany — Scientific Attaché, Embassy of Italy in the UAE  
 14:00 – 14:10  Closing Statement  H.E. Prof. Hamid Al Naimiy — Director General, SAASST  SAASST Smart Room
 14:10 – 15:00  Key Outcomes Discussion & Certificate Awarding      ----  SAASST Smart Room
15:00 – 22:00 Stargazing Trip      ---- Sharjah Desert