Prof. Hamid Al-Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, received Dr. Gale Allen, NASA’s Acting Chief Scientist on 5th November, 2017.

The meeting was aimed at strengthening the research activities of the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences, SCASS, with the US Space Agency NASA.

Dr. Allen was delighted with her visit to the Centre and was briefed about its various aspects, such as its research laboratories, observatory, and the planetarium and space exhibitions.

Before the meeting, Dr. Allen visited the SCASS and was amazed by the Centre and its accomplishments. She then gave a lecture to the University of Sharjah faculty members and students, in which she provided an overview of NASA’s exploration plans and human and robotic programmes. The talk highlighted the past, present and future space explorations programmes that the NASA is running with several international space agencies.

The Mars exploration and future Martian rovers were an essential part of the talk. Students were eager to ask Dr. Allen many questions about the space sciences activities, and how it would advance knowledge of the universe in general and the Earth in particular.

Before the lecture, Dr. Allen met with Dr. Ilias Fernini, SCASS Deputy Director-General of the Research Laboratories and Observatory, Ibrahim Al-Jarwan, SCASS Deputy Director-General of the Administration and Public Relations, and Marwan Shwaiki, Deputy Director-General of the Planetarium. She discussed with Dr. Ilias Fernini the research areas of the Centre, as well as the astronomy observatory Dr. Allen was happy to know that the Centre has five working space sciences research laboratories: the Radio Astronomy Laboratory, the GIS and Remote Sensing Centre, the Ionospheric Laboratory, the CubeSat Laboratory, and the Meteorite Centre. These laboratories are used by the students of the University of Sharjah for their research projects. Collaboration and joint programmes with NASA were also part of the discussion.