The African Space Generation Workshop (AF-SGW) is a two-day international event where students and young professionals, aged between 18 and 35, come together to discuss the future of the African Space sector. The workshop is an annual event hosted by the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), an organization in support of the United Nations Program on Space Applications. Workshops like this provide a platform for SGAC members to share their views, ideas and recommendations on Space related topics. These ideas are brought forward by the SGAC through participation in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) as well as in its sub-committees and forums.
After the success of the past editions namely, Accra in February 2021, Addis Ababa in 2019, Port Louis in 2018 and Akure in 2017, the fifth edition AF-SGW will take place as a hybrid event in Stellenbosch on 26th-27th November. The workshop will take place in conjunction with the International Academy of Aeronautics’ 1st African Symposium on Small Satellites, to be hosted from the 29th November – 1st December 2021; both events will be held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).
Under the theme ‘Building a Self-Sustaining African Space Sector’, the 5th AF-SGW will bring together close to 60 delegates, both virtually and in-person, from across the region and internationally. Delegates will be treated to a dynamic programme and gain great insights into emerging Space topics through presentations by our industry experts, panel discussions by industry thought leaders and government stakeholders, and working group sessions which will stimulate discussions between delegates and their counterparts on salient industry issues. During the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussions on relevant issues in the Space community, fusing interdisciplinary and international perspectives.
Social media networks are buzzing with excitement for the upcoming AF-SGW, and Space enthusiasts around Africa are clearing their schedules as the quality of knowledge transfer at these workshops are certainly not to be missed! The SGAC brings together students, young professionals, academics, industry experts, and Space Agency representatives to network, enhance international cooperation, nurture the next generation’s perspective on salient Space matters and facilitate a next generation of industry leaders.