LDE Space for Science and Society is a collaboration between the three LDE universities to enable more cooperation in space research and education. Not only between the universities, but also with the Dutch space sector. LDE spoke to programme manager Peter Batenburg about new developments within space education: ‘we are working to make space education accessible to everyone, no matter what your study background is."
Which educational projects are currently ongoing?
We are currently working on more interdisciplinary space-related education programmes. In these, we work with students on interdisciplinary issues from the space sector, among others. For example, we have an increasing number of Joint Interdisciplinary Projects for master's students from TU Delft. There are more and more space issues from large and small companies from both the Netherlands and the rest of Europe for students to work on. Students from Leiden and Rotterdam are also increasingly joining these. Here we also see that the students' study backgrounds are very diverse. Furthermore, last year we did our first thesis lab on earth observation in cooperation with the Center for Sustainability. There, space law and business and management students contributed ideas on how earth observation can be better used to monitor humanitarian law violations.
This year, we also launched the NEBULA Xplorer Thesislab in collaboration with SRON. Here, around 11 students from different universities, universities of applied sciences (hbo) and intermediate vocational schools (mbo) are now working on an astronomical mini satellite mission. Here again, various parties from the space sector are collaborating. Finally, since this year, there has been the LDE Space for Society Honours Programme for bachelor students. Students from a wide range of programmes participate, such as business, philosophy and medicine. The programme consists of fourteen evening lectures and offers a broad interdisciplinary introduction to space and space travel.
What's in store for the next few months?
This summer there is another summer school of NL Space Campus, of which we are academic partners. In September, the next round of Joint Interdisciplinary Projects will start again for master's students, for which new projects will be announced in May. In the coming period, we will look at what more interdisciplinary educational programmes we can offer for bachelor's and master's students to give an even wider audience the chance to engage with space, this could be programmes such as a new minor and a space-related course curriculum for in the master's programmes. Furthermore, we hope to do more different group graduation projects next year.
Check out the LDE Space for Science & Society website for more information on the projects and programmes you can participate in as a student or work with students as a company.