Improving space knowledge in Africa: The ARCSSTE-E

The African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E) was inaugurated in November 1998, with a mandate for the development of indigenous skills, knowledge and capacity, through rigorous theory, research, applications, field exercises and pilot projects that can enhance socioeconomic development. The institution runs a nine-month Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) programme in the areas of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (RS/GIS); Satellite Communications; Satellite Meteorology and Global Climate; and Basic Space Science and Atmospheric Physics (BSS), as well as short courses and outreach programmes. This paper describes the impact of the space postgraduate diploma programmes in the African region, highlighting the capabilities of the centre. Using a survey of participants in its courses, it notes where changes are needed and makes recommendations to this end.