Regional Offices

Regional Nodes and Language Expertise Centres are offices based around the world with similar objectives as the OAD but with regional focus. These offices work closely with the OAD in order to implement the IAU Strategic Plan. “Regions” which they focus on could be geographical (neighbouring countries) or cultural (language or cultural similarities spread over a large geographic region).

These are the current OAD Regional Offices around the world.

The IAU is the worldwide organisation of professional astronomers regardless of borders. The designations employed and the presentation of the material on our maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IAU or the IAU OAD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Andean Region

Host Institution: Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería – Perú and Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Host Country – Colombia and Perú
Countries served by the office – Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Coordinators – Maria Isela Zevallos, Giovanni Pinzon Estrada

Arab World and Arabic Language

Host Institution – Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, UN Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia
Host Country – Jordan
Countries served by the office – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania and Yemen
Coordinators – Awni Al-Khasawneh

East Africa

Host Institution – Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute
Host Country – Ethiopia
Countries served by the office – Ethiopia, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Seychelles, Tanzania
Coordinators – Alemiye Mamo

East Asia and Chinese Language

Host Institution – Beijing Planetarium, Yunnan Astronomical Observatory
Host Country – China
Countries served by the office – People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Coordinators – Wenwen Zuo (EA-ROAD co-director), Jun Lin (Chinese Language Center)

Europe

Host Institution –  European Astronomical Society and Leiden University
Host Country – Netherlands
Countries served by the office – Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.
Coordinators – George Miley, Pedro Russo, Katya Frantseva

North America

Host Institutions – Adler Planetarium, Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), and Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM (GLAS)
Host Country – United States
Coordinators – Yasmin Catricheo, Deb Kaelbi, Shari Lifson, Kate Meredith, Timothy Spuck, Mark SubbaRao, Laura Trouille.

Portuguese Language

Host Institution – Nucleo Interativo de Astronomia (NUCLIO), Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA)
Host Country – Portugal
Countries served by the office – All Portuguese speaking countries including Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor as well as Portuguese speaking communities
Coordinators – André Moitinho, Joana Latas, João Retrê, Nuno Gomes, Rosa Doran (PT); Alan Alves-Brito, Patrícia Figueiró Spinelli (BR); Ivanilda Cabral (CV); Joyn Tioló, Manuel Penhor (STP); Valente Cuambe (MZ); Grabriela Castro (ET).

South East Asia

Host Institution – National Astronomy Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT)
Host Country – Thailand
Countries served by the office – Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam
Coordinators – Matipon Tangmatitham, Supaluck Chanthawan, Sulisa Chariyalertsak, Setthawut Thongmee

South West and Central Asia

Host Institution – Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO)
Host Country – Armenia
Countries served by the office – Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey
Coordinators – Areg Mickaelian (Director of SWCA ROAD, Armenia), Maya Todua (Georgia), Habib Khosroshahi (Iran), Rashit Valiullin (Kazakhstan), Gulchehra Kohirova (Tajikistan

Southern Africa

Host Institution – Copperbelt University
Host Country – Zambia
Countries served by the office – Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana (SKA partner) and Kenya (SKA partner).
Coordinator – Saul Phiri
Administrative Officer – Jackson Siantuba

West Africa

Host Institution – Centre for Basic Space Sciences (CBSS), National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) at the University of Nigeria
Host Country – Nigeria
Countries served by the office – Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Sao Tome and Principe
Coordinators – Bonaventure Okere