ITCA News

The International Training Centre in Astronomy under the auspices of UNESCO (ITCA) ventured into Europe, taking its outreach activities beyond Asia and Africa into Portugal. From September 7–11, 2026, ITCA travelled around Portugal to Nazaré, Oeiras, and Constância for the ITCA Teacher Training Program conducted in collaboration with NUCLIO-Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia. The initiative brought together educators and astronomy enthusiasts for a series of hands-on workshops designed to explore astronomy through different perspectives.

The International Training Centre in Astronomy under the auspices of UNESCO (ITCA), operated by the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) conducted a Teacher Training Program and a Public lecture in the city of Lahore, Pakistan from 3-5 July 2026 to over 100 participating educational personnels and interested Pakistani participants. This international Teacher Training Program is one of many ITCA programs aimed to improve Astronomy education globally and foster future international collaboration.

Over 42 youths from around the world gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand for The ASEAN Astronomy Camp (AAC 2026) before returning home after having earned new lifelong passions and friendships.

The International Training Centre in Astronomy under the auspices of UNESCO (ITCA) has finished its teacher training workshop in collaboration with the local host The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). The workshop was held in Quezon city, at the PAGASA headquarters between 20-21 January 2026.

Botswana joined the global celebration of World Space Week under the theme “Living in Space”, marking a significant milestone in the country’s space science journey. At the forefront of this initiative was the BIUST (Botswana International University Science and Technology) AVN/SKA (African VLBI Network/Square Kilometre Array) Department, which led an engaging outreach programme at Gabane Junior Secondary School. The event brought together students, teachers, and science enthusiasts to explore how space connects to everyday life and how it can spark Botswana’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy.

K-12 Astronomy Education Conference 2025 (K-12 AstroAsia 2025) concludes with a resounding success. Over 137 participants from 17 countries from Asia and beyond Asia united over a four-day conference between September 1-4 of 2025. This conference is meant to serve as a platform where Asian educators can share our unique experiences, challenges, struggles and solutions as we seek to improve the ways in which we educate the future generations of Asia.

The ITCA Teacher Training Workshop in Nepal has concluded. This workshop occurred between the period of 19-20 July 2025 and is a result of collaboration between the International training Centre in Astronomy under the auspices of UNESCO (ITCA), the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) and the local host institution, the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO). The workshop received a warm welcome as over 60 participants from Nepal and India join to share their passion and enthusiasm towards Astronomy Education.

We are pleased to share that The first ITCA Teacher Training Workshop of 2025 has successfully wrapped up with smiles and inspiration. Held in Bandung, Indonesia from 16–17 May 2025, the workshop brought together educators from across the many islands of Indonesia. During the workshop, teachers get to experience many hands-on activities they could implement in their classroom, led by ITCA in collaboration with Langitselatan and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI).

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) and the International Training Centre in Astronomy under the auspices of UNESCO (ITCA) hosted the Southeast Asia Planetarium, Education and Outreach 2024 (SEA-PEO 2024) from 25-28 November 2024 at Princess Sirindhorn Astropark Chiang Mai, Thailand. The event represented the first international conference in the Southeast Asia Region dedicated to exchanging knowledge, experience and advancement in improving how we enhance interaction with the public in astronomy. The conference brought together 252 participants, including planetarium operators, educators, astronomy outreach personnel, and enthusiasts from 24 countries.