Middle Eastern scientists and engineers made a very strong showing in the latest membership roster of the prestigious International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). The new members were elected to the IAA and confirmed at a ceremony held in the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Guadalajara, Mexico, this past week.
The IAA elected members from countries around the world, and seven from the Middle East. New members come from Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The new Middle East members are as follows:
Dr. Dan G. Blumberg of Israel, the Deputy, Vice-President and Dean for Research and Development at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and also director of the Earth and Planetary Image Facility, a remote sensing research laboratory.
Dr. Zerefsan Kaymaz of Turkey, an assistant professor on the faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Meteorological Department at the Istanbul Technical University.
Dr. Mohamed B. Argoun of Egypt, professor of Aerospace Systems Dynamics and Control at the Aerospace Department, Cairo University.
Dr. Magued S. Iskander of Egypt, Head of the Urban and Civil Engineering Department at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in the United States of America.
Prince Dr. Turki Bin Saud Bin Mohammad Al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the President of the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology (KACST).
Dr. Mohamed Tijani Ben Jemaa of Tunisia, a retired satellite engineer previously with Arabsat, and now, among many other positions, Executive Director of the Mediterranean Federation of Internet Associations.
Dr. Salem Al Marri of the United Arab Emirates, the assistant director general for Scientific and Technical Affairs at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai.
The IAA was founded on 16 August 1960 in Stockholm, Sweden, by Theodore Von Karman and is an independent non-governmental organisation recognized by the United Nations in 1996. It’s purpose is to foster the development of astronautics for peaceful purposes; recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in space science or technology; provide a programme through which members may contribute to international endeavours; and promote international cooperation in the advancement of aerospace science.
Newly elected IAA member Dr. Al Marri of the MBRSC said, “The space sector in the UAE has reached a good position in the global space community in such a short time. This drives us to play a positive role in global space affairs and participate in the international endeavours of developing peaceful applications of space technology and sciences.”
Original published at: http://spacewatchme.com/2016/09/iac-2016-international-academy-astronautics-elects-new-members-middle-east/