Bram De Winter is in Dubai right now and blogging for NL Space Campus in a 5-day Series. “Today I want to share my view from a scientific student in a mostly ‘engineering’ conference”.
This is the third of 5 stories about IAC2021 in Dubai from a student’s viewpoint. Bram is a graduate student geology and geochemistry at VU Amsterdam and Space Exploration Projectgroup Co-Lead & national contact for the Netherlands SGAC (Space Generation Advisory Council). He is part of the NL Space Campus Student Working group.
Day 3: Wednesday 27-10-2021
Hi Everyone,
Day 3 of the IAC has dawned, and I am still going strong. With this third blog I could talk about certain sessions, meeting astronauts or hunting space souvenirs, but I want to share my view from a scientific student in a mostly ‘engineering’ conference.
A question often asked to me is: “So what is a geologist doing here?”. IAC is a conference that is dominated by participants from engineering backgrounds. However, the space community is becoming more diverse than ever. In order to update the space community for to be a long-term sustainable sector, we need more diversity. When explaining my role as a geologist in the space sector, and my role as co-lead and national point of contact for the Netherlands within SGAC, I see a change happening in their opinion and point of view.
For me as a science student, learning from projects related to engineering, brings my own research to higher levels. I sincerely believe in combining multiple disciplines and that scientist, engineers and other experts become more knowledgeable, when exploring communities outside of their bubble. IAC has therefore been extremely important for me and is a very valuable experience for my future career.
To conclude, I recommend science students to consider visiting IAC 2022 if possible. Learn from engineering, explore the diverse world of the space sector, and meet fellow young professionals, to further learn and create opportunities for you.
من دبي اراك قريبا (From Dubai, goodbye)
Bram de Winter
