Description
In 2022 the last cohort of students in Space Sciences graduated from the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan. Key issues causing the discontinuation are (1) a perceived lack of paths to employment from such courses and (2) lack of access to state-of-the-art research resources. P-Star is addressing both concerns simultaneously and helping support local experts to kick-start a renaissance of Space Science research in the country.
While numerous astrophysical computation codes and observational data repositories are “open source”, their usage is often severely limited on the wider global stage by (1) knowledge of (1) their existence and availability and (2) the relevant access methods and basic usage examples for each individual repository. P-Star is assembling a team of astronomy experts spanning the UK, EU, USA, and Asia. We identify and develop free undergraduate and masters level teaching materials that can make graduates more employable in places like Europe, America, India and East Asia. Students travelling to these countries will grow their experience, and increase the potential to seed new research themes and opportunities in their home countries. Our materials are supplied to our target institutions, and after proof of concept is established and export controls applied, an open-source repository will be made available.
Current results of P-Star include university-level and grassroots events in Lahore, and ongoing co-supervision of masters projects. Our partners have recently secured infrastructure funding for astronomical observatories in Pakistan and we seek to continue building our team to better support such endeavours.
