Kevindran Govender, during his work as manager of the Salt Collateral Benefits Programme at the South African Astronomical Observatory (Salt), focused on making the public aware of the benefits of astronomy.
There were activities in three major areas: education, public understanding and socio-economical development. “The education leg focused particularly on mathematics and science,” says Govender. “It’s about using astronomy to excite the public, especially in terms of stimulating interest in the youth.”
This included educator workshops aimed at teaching maths and science more effectively in the context of astronomy. The predominant function of Govender’s department was public outreach by furthering the public’s understanding of science through astronomy. This included media exposure of astronomy, star gazing where — in some cases — telescopes were brought out to communities, public talks and tour programmes.
There were also several programmes around youth development and included motivational talks. Sutherland, where Salt is based, is a small town with an 80% unemployment rate. Govender says that it was important to find ways to make a positive impact and this was primarily done through tourism.
“I believe that astronomy is one of the best ways for science to have an impact on society,” says Govender. “Besides being a field that has some of the most modern technology, it is also accessible to the public because of humanity’s history and relationship with the stars, sun and moon.”
During the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) in 2009, Govender was part of the international IYA working group that coordinated astronomy events globally. It was then he noticed a lack of impact on developing countries. With his South African experience, he became involved in creating astronomy activities within these regions.
South Africa now hosts the International Astronomical Union’s Global Office of Astronomy for Development. An issue close to Govender’s heart is explaining why South Africa invests so much in astronomy: “It’s South Africa’s vision to develop science and technology on a world-class level. Investment into astronomy takes the entire society forward and leads to the development of engineers, scientists and technicians. We should be proud.”
This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian newspaper as an advertorial supplement