Islamic science organization discusses enhanced cooperation with international space institutions

Dr. Salim Al-Malik, director general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization met representatives of US and international space institutions and other officials on Wednesday to discuss ways in which cooperation in the space sector might be enhanced.

He held talks on the sidelines of the 38th World Space Forum in Colorado with David Thomas, executive director of the US MILO Space Science Institute; Lars Hoffman, vice president of defense, space and aerospace exploration company Blue Origin, Pascale Ehrenfreund, president of the International Space University in France; Rod Drury, international vice president of Lockheed Martin Space; and Dianne Primavera, the lieutenant governor of Colorado.

The discussions mainly focused on potential training and scholarship opportunities at US universities for students and researchers from the Islamic organization’s member states, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The participants also discussed ways to build partnerships in the technology sector and aerospace industry to benefit young people in the Islamic world, the development of an educational digital platform focusing on space science, and cooperation to establish an Islamic Space Science Institute.

The four-day Space Symposium, which concluded on Thursday, included about 14,000 participants, including representatives of more than 250 international companies involved in the space sector.

The Islamic organization took part in a number of sessions, including discussions on space policy and programs, and the latest developments in space sciences.