Our opening session will include welcomes from our director Markus Poessel and IAU president Willy Benz. There will be keynote talks from Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Amelia Ortiz-Gil.

Keynote Talks

Tick, Tick, Tick Pulsating Star; How We Wonder What You Are!

Jocelyn Bell-Burnell (University of Oxford, Department of Physics)

Jocelyn Bell Burnell inadvertently discovered pulsars as a graduate student in radio astronomy in Cambridge, opening up a new branch of astrophysics - work recognised by the award of a Nobel Prize to her supervisor.

She has subsequently worked in many roles in many branches of astronomy, working part-time while raising a family. She is now a Visiting Academic in Oxford, Department of Astrophysics. She has been President of the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, in 2008 became the first female President of the Institute of Physics for the UK and Ireland, and in 2014 the first female President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She was one of the small group of women scientists that set up the Athena SWAN scheme.

She has received many honours, including a $3M Breakthrough Prize in 2018 and made CH in 2026.

The public appreciation and understanding of science have always been important to her, and she is much in demand as a speaker and broadcaster. In her spare time, she gardens, listens to choral music and is active in the Quakers. She has co-edited an anthology of poetry with an astronomical theme – ‘Dark Matter; Poems of Space’.

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Universal Design for Learning in Astronomy Education

Amelia Ortiz Gil (University of Valencia Astronomical Observatory)

Amelia Ortiz-Gil has a PhD in Physics (University of Valencia, Spain) and has carried her research on the topics of the Carte du Ciel photographic catalogue, the intergalactic medium and the physical properties of galaxy clusters at different research centres around the world. Lately she has focused on the field of astronomy outreach, in particular the development of inclusive activities for all publics. She is the coordinator of the project “A Touch of the Universe” which has developed tactile models of planetary bodies specially designed for the blind. She is currently the Chair of the International Astronomical Union Working Group on Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion. She was awarded the 2019 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement with Planetary Science.

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This session will explore practical approaches to astronomy education in the classroom, highlighting effective strategies and innovative teaching practices that engage students at both primary school level

This session will explore practical approaches to astronomy education in the classroom, highlighting effective strategies and innovative teaching practices that engage students at secondary level

This session will explore recent developments and findings in astronomy education research, examining methodologies, assessment techniques, and the impact of various educational interventions on learners and educators.

This session will focus on inclusive astronomy education through Universal Design principles, featuring three sub-sessions on supporting blind and partially sighted, deaf, and neurodiverse communities. It will highlight best practices for working with these groups while providing a space to share resources and expertise.

This session will explore the future of radio astronomy — from next-generation facilities and the challenges of the big data era, to key research areas including pulsars, transients, fast radio bursts, all-sky surveys, and galaxy studies. It will also cover how ongoing programs and citizen science initiatives are opening new opportunities to bring these developments into educational settings.

This session will focus on the many innovative ways astronomy is being taught, with practical tips on how to implement them.

Advancing Astronomy Education in Ethiopia through Curriculum Integration, Local Languages, and Inclusive Outreach Astronomy serves as a powerful catalyst for strengthening STEM education by fostering curiosity, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and problem-solving skills. In Ethiopia, however, astronomy remains largely absent from the formal curricula of primary and secondary schools despite its immense educational value. This paper proposes a national framework for integrating astronomy into Ethiopia's education system by embedding age-appropriate astronomical concepts within existing mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, and general science textbooks rather than introducing it as a standalone subject. Examples include using celestial motions to teach geometry, trigonometry, and measurement; planetary data to strengthen statistics and data analysis; and astronomical phenomena to explain fundamental scientific concepts. The framework also advocates for the translation of astronomy educational resources into Ethiopia's local languages to improve accessibility, inclusivity, and student engagement. Developing culturally relevant learning materials that combine modern astronomy with indigenous Ethiopian astronomical knowledge will enable learners to connect scientific concepts with their local heritage while supporting multilingual education.

The annual Astronomy Education Conference provides a valuable opportunity for communities sharing a common culture and language to meet and connect. This session, dedicated to Arabic speakers, aims to explore and discuss a variety of topics related to astronomy and space science (awareness, education, and development) within our Arabic societies. We will emphasize the importance of astronomy and space education and its role in fostering fundamental concepts and skills in science and technology. This will be achieved by discussing the impact of astronomy education on awareness within our communities, particularly in light of limited resources. Furthermore, we will present and share a diverse of astronomical projects, tools, and resources that contribute positively to the development of Arab societies, with the goal of strengthening collaboration among Arab national coordinators. It will be highly beneficial to showcase successful educational projects and initiatives from national education centers in their respective countries and to identify projects that can be shared and implemented in resource-limited regions. This session will be organized by the OAE-Egypt Education Center and will bring together Arab National Education Coordinators (NAECs) as well as other stakeholders in education across the Arab world.

This regional session will bring together astronomy educators, scientists, teachers, science communicators, NGO members and National Astronomy Education Coordinator (NAEC) representatives from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Sloveni(not yet confirmed)a. These neighbouring countries share similar educational contexts, closely related languages and many common challenges in promoting astronomy and strengthening its place in formal and non-formal education. The first part of the session will feature short country presentations highlighting national initiatives, examples of good practice, educational projects, school activities, public outreach events and the work of NAEC teams and civil society organisations. By presenting diverse approaches from across the region, the session will provide participants with practical ideas and increase the visibility of successful local and national activities. The second part will take the form of a regional round-table discussion focused on opportunities for cooperation among countries, institutions and organisations. Participants will explore possibilities for exchanging educational resources and expertise, developing joint regional activities and campaigns, and addressing shared challenges in astronomy education and popularisation. Conducted in a mutually understandable regional language, the session aims to encourage open and inclusive participation. Its main objectives are to strengthen professional connections, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and inspiring practices, and establish a foundation for sustainable regional collaboration in astronomy education and public outreach. Keywords: astronomy education, science outreach, regional collaboration, NAEC, Western Balkans, good practices

In this special session we invite all Hebrew speaking people to participate in an open discussion about Space Education in Israel. The panel will include the Israeli NAEC team members, and everyone interested is welcome to join, ask questions, raise issues, and describe their experience in the field of space education. The outcome of the session will be a summary of successes and challenges, and action items for the next year.

Astronomy education has increasingly established itself as a field with significant potential to promote scientific literacy, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary approaches to science education. Across Portuguese-speaking countries, despite the diversity of educational, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts, there are shared challenges and opportunities that justify the creation of spaces for dialogue and cooperation among researchers, educators, teacher trainers, and institutions. In this context, the Portuguese-Language Session of the IAU OAE Conference on Astronomy for Education 2026 has been conceived as a forum bringing together Portuguese-speaking communities engaged in astronomy education. By gathering participants from different countries, the session will promote the exchange of experiences, encourage reflection on the main challenges faced within each national context, and identify opportunities for collaboration that can strengthen science education in the Portuguese language. The presentations will address topics such as the integration of astronomy into school curricula, initial and continuing teacher education, the development and adaptation of educational resources, science communication and outreach, the promotion of equitable access to science education, and the role of astronomy as a powerful context for interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The diversity of perspectives will highlight the richness of initiatives developed across the Lusophone world, while also revealing shared challenges and collaborative approaches.

Within the IAU-OAE Conference on Astronomy for Education 2026, with the help of the organizers and due to their constant support, there will be a session dedicated to the Romanian astronomy community, held in the maternal language. Like every year, we are sure the event will be highly appreciated by all participants who express their gratitude for having this great opportunity to share their experience as astronomy educators and promoters in Romania, experience related to the topic of the section we relate to for the Romanian session, namely Astronomy Education in Schools in Practice (Primary and Secondary Schools). The session will be coordinated and moderated by Ms.Elisabeta Ana NAGHI, the Romanian NAEC and inspector fo Mathematics and Astronomy at the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, with the support of Felicia Elena CĂLMUC, NAEC associate and English teacher for nonformal education at Palatul Copiilor, city of Craiova. The Romanian session will be divided into 2 sections, each of them illustrating a distinct approach related to the importance of specific astronomy projects implemented in Romania(national level) and STEAM based astronomy activities in the context of school education at international level, thus emphasizing the complexity of the education for astronomy in our country.

This session is proposed as a regional meeting aimed at giving continuity to the articulation process among the NAECs of South America, initiated within the framework of the 2025 South American Shaw–OAE IAU Regional Meeting. Its central purpose is to move from the regional memory already constructed towards a common working agenda, articulated around three moments: the presentation of the compilation of the work carried out in 2025, a balance of the achievements reached by each country during 2026, and the definition of a shared route of goals for 2027.

This regional session will bring together astronomy educators and education professionals from Turkic-speaking countries. Presenters will showcase astronomy topics through video recordings of real classroom lessons conducted in schools or universities. This approach will allow participants to observe students’ engagement, reactions, and participation during the learning process. English subtitles will be provided where necessary. The first part of the session will be dedicated to the presentation of the recorded lessons. In the second part, presenters will engage in an interactive discussion on the challenges they encounter in teaching astronomy, the topics that generate the greatest interest among students, and the teaching methods they have found most effective. Questions from session participants will also be welcomed and discussed. The session will be conducted primarily in Azerbaijani, with English interpretation provided when necessary to ensure accessibility for the international audience.

AstroEDU in your classroom AstroEDU, the open-access platform by the OAE, offers educators a monthly opportunity to discover new, peer-reviewed, high-quality educational activities in the fields of astronomy, Earth sciences, and space science. AstroEDU already hosts a wide range of activities for different age groups and across various scientific topics, with particular attention to activities designed to be accessible and inclusive, thanks to the collaboration with the CAP Inclusive Astronomy Communication Focus Group of the OAO and the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Working Group of the OAE. The platform is also testing new technologies, such as an A.I. Assistant (currently under evaluation), which will be introduced to improve the user experience and help users search for the resources they need. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of the activities published to date and offer insights into how to find the right activity for your classroom. During the second part, participants will be guided through an interactive process of reviewing an activity for publication, going through specific case studies. In the workshop we will also analyse selected AstroEDU activities with the participants, to highlight and improve their accessibility for diverse users. This workshop is designed to introduce AstroEDU to both teachers and researchers involved in education, providing a comprehensive understanding of how to use—and create—high-quality educational resources that can benefit educators worldwide. With the participation of: Cesare Pagano

This session, focused on primary school education, starts directly from the voices and priorities gathered in our pre-workshop survey. Moving beyond open discussion, participants will work in thematic groups with a clear, operational focus to turn community challenges into practical solutions and concrete first steps. Join us to collaborate on turning real-world educator feedback into an actionable roadmap for the coming years and future IAU-OAE initiatives.