It will be the first time that this symposium, promoted by the European Space Agency (ESA), takes place in Spain. The event will bring to the city of Barcelona about 300 people including students, teachers and professionals from around the world. Since its first edition, the SSEA has emerged as the reference symposium in which the current state and future of space education activities in Europe and the world are discussed. The proposal has been selected by ESA, standing out among candidates from universities in other member states of the agency.
A candidacy of the space ecosystem of Barcelona
The SSEA 2021 will be organized by the three UPC schools dedicated to training and research in the space field: the School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering of Terrassa (ESEIAAT), the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB) and the Castelldefels School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering (EETAC).
In order to enrich the proposal, the organizing team was clear from the outset that other entities in the sector needed to be involved. For that reason, work is being done to include other institutions and companies, to give international visibility to the rich space ecosystem of Barcelona and to generate positive synergies between the different actors and ESA.
A student symposium for students
One of the main pillars of the SSEA 2021 is that, in addition to being aimed at students, it will also be organized by the students themselves, the engineers, and scientists who will lead the future of the space sector in Europe. Thus, the organizing team has a careful balance between professionals, master's students and undergraduate students. The proposal also places special emphasis on promoting Europe’s space education in the world and on achieving goals of equity, gender equality, diversity and sustainability. The visit of hundreds of participants to Barcelona will also be a great opportunity to collaborate in the reconstruction of the social and productive fabric of the city on the post-COVID-19 stage.
A bridge to the university
The symposium focuses on educational activities in the space field at the university, giving participants the opportunity to share their results and experiences. It is expected to attract educators and university students, as well as project managers to help bridge the gap between activities carried out during high school and high school with the university.
The event will also feature the participation of local and European companies interested in space education efforts and their outcomes. An equally important goal of the symposium is to convince academic organizations, industry, and institutions of the importance of hands-on activities and training and learning opportunities, focused on preparing the next generation of space scientists and engineers.
