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ESA-SGAC 25th/50th Anniversary Celebration: A Resounding Success!
In brief
The joint ESA-SGAC celebratory event, held on 23 January, proved to be an engaging and fruitful gathering that successfully brought together young professionals, students, and aspiring industry leaders. The event, marking the Space Generation Advisory Council’s (SGAC) 25th anniversary and symbolically passing the celebration to ESA’s 50th anniversary, was a remarkable success, fostering insightful discussions and valuable networking opportunities.
In-depth
The event kicked off with a video message from ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher:
Access the video
This was followed by a stimulating panel discussion featuring representatives from both ESA (Kai-Uwe Schrogl, Lucy van der Tas and Leopold Summerer) and SGAC (Nikol Koleva, Antonino Salmeri, Charles Nzeussi and Luca Ricci). Participants actively engaged in thought-provoking conversations, sharing experiences, ideas, and visions for the future of space exploration and collaboration. The Zoom session allowed attendees to interact with experts, providing a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange and inspiration. It was completed by a challenging trivia set up and moderated by Alessia Barese.
Following the panel, the event transitioned into the Metaverse platform, where attendees could create avatars and explore the virtual space designed for interactive networking. Many participants enjoyed this innovative approach, which allowed for one-on-one conversations, group discussions, and the chance to build connections in a dynamic virtual environment.
While the transition to the Metaverse platform was an exciting and novel experience, some attendees encountered technical difficulties that limited their participation. We acknowledge these challenges and appreciate the patience and adaptability shown by our participants. Despite these hurdles, the overall feedback was positive, and we remain committed to exploring and improving the use of the Metaverse for future events.
This event exemplified the power of collaboration between SGAC and ESA, reinforcing the importance of fostering connections between young professionals, alumni, and industry leaders. The networking opportunities provided during the celebration will undoubtedly pave the way for future partnerships, career opportunities, and continued engagement between SGAC members and ESA.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who participated, contributed, and supported this milestone event. As we move forward, we will continue to refine our virtual engagement strategies while embracing the potential of new technologies to connect and inspire space enthusiasts worldwide. The Metaverse remains a valuable instrument, and we look forward to further integrating it into our events to enhance the experience for all participants.
Thank you for making this celebration an unforgettable success! Stay tuned for more exciting collaborations and initiatives in the future!