Curriculum 2012

 

SHORT PRESENTATION OF THE PROGRAM

  • April 5 (Thu) - 19:00h Program Inauguration Ceremony at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • April 6 (Fri) - 19:00h Introduction to Space Weather - Jeffrey Hughes (Director, Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling, Boston University, USA) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University - Download the presentation
  • April 11 (Wed) - 19:00h The Sun and its Influence on the Solar System - Mathew Owens (Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University - Download the presentation
  • April 12 (Thu) - 19:00h Workshop: Heliosphere at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • April 19 (Thu) - 19:00h Workshop: Magnitosphere at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • April 25 (Wed) - 19:00h Workshop: Ionosphere - Kamen Kozarev (Boston University) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • May 3 (Thu) - 19:00h The impact of space weather – risks, modeling, prediction - Terry Onsager (Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA, USA) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University - Download the presentation
  • May 10 (Thu) - 19:00h Biotechnology and space medicine – Dr. Julio Valdivia-Silva (NASA Ames Research Center)
  • May 11 (Fri) - 19:00h Biosciences: General principles of metabolic control strategy and protection against radiation and others space environmental factors – Dr. Yuri Griko Space Biosciences Researcher (NASA Ames Research Center) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • May 17 (Thu) - 19:00h The roles of the Exponential technologies for the development of Space exploration a and modern society - Kip Stringfellow Director Business Initiatives (NASA Ames Singularity Program) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University - Download the presentation
  • May 18 (Fri) - 18:30h Radiation Risks to Humans in Space - Michael Golightly (Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, USA) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • May 18 (Fri) - 19:00h The future of private space missions (Planetary Resources Inc.) and the impact of exponential tech on the World’s economy - Kip Stringfellow Director Business Initiatives (NASA Ames Singularity Program) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • May 30 (Wed) - 19:00h Search for signatures of life in Space Part 1 - Lauren Fletcher (NASA Ames Research Center/Oxford University) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • May 31 (Thu) - 19:00h Search for signatures of life in Space Part 2 - Lauren Fletcher (NASA Ames Research Center/Oxford University) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 1 (Fri) - 19:00h European Space Week at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 5 (Thu) - 19:00h European Space Week at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 6 (Wed) - 19:00h European Space Week at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 7 (Thu) - 19:00h Astrobiology – Dr. Chris Mckay, Planetary scientist (NASA Ames Research Center) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 8 (Fri) - 19:00h Space Law Principles – Megan Ansdell, Space law specialist (George Washington University) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 13 (Wed) - 19:00h Space: The Legal Frontier - Matthew Kleiman, Space lawyer (Boston University) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 14 (Thu) - 19:00h Space Law Moot Court at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 15 (Fri) - 19:00h Astrophysics: "Unknown Universe: An enigma of 14 billion years" - Vladimir Bozhilov (Sofia University, Bulgaria) at New Conference Hall, Sofia University
  • June 16 - 30 - Team Projects development
  • Launch Date - To be released

 

Space Challenges 2012 is a multidisciplinary program opened for students with diverse background and as such it will include core-curriculum lectures, separated in thematic modules: Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, Medicine and Neuroscience, Aerospace engineering, Space systems technologies and applications, Nanotechnology, Planetary sciences, Astrophysics, Policy and Space Law, Business development and entrepreneurship studies. Each module will include workshops. One final assignment /Team project/ will be given. It will be based on the whole program, requiring from the students to demonstrate their multidisciplinary understanding of the space sector and its applications. Each team will include students with diverse background.

An online educational library will be available to the students, with streaming content and lecture courses from leading universities. The main idea is to give each student the maximum amount of useful information regarding all of the modules. The students will be organized into respective online course groups in order to achieve better results during the final team project effort. This will allow the students to specialize further in particular modules of their choice by taking extensive additional online lectures and tests in the respective field. All the online content will be pre-selected as part of the Space Challenges e-library. The students will be given this specialization task in a balanced manner – an equal number of students will specialize in each module. Later during the team project assignment, the students will be selected in teams and each of those teams will have students who have specialized in all modules.

Several non-formal activities will be organized for the students. The main goal is to establish a permanent and growing community of capable young people with interests towards science and technology.

Orientation meetings with the students are also envisioned as part of the concept, as well as one-on-one interviews and dialogues aiming at guiding the students toward further pursuing science and tech careers.

 LIST OF LECTURERS