The Venue
This year’s IAU Symposium: IAU386 will be held at the Ethiopian science and art museum, a museum solely dedicated to science, the first of its kind in Africa. Built on an area of 6.78 hectares, it hosts two main building complexes (the museum and the planetarium).
Indoor Spaces
Indoor Spaces 14,000 m2, sound proofed, electronically equipped with natural ventilation and optimized natural light, internet access- Conference space: can accommodate up to 200 people
- Permanent and temporary exhibition spaces: with electronically equipped booth setups ready for exhibition
Outdoor Spaces
- Recreational space A rooftop garden area with a refreshing view and a restaurant An open air amphitheater area for entertainment
- Planetarium Room of exploration: an auditorium with a 360 degree immersive experience, three-dimensional cinema equipped with state-of-the-art technology, able to accommodate up to 200 people at a time, giving the audience a 360-degree immersive experience and virtually taking visitors on a journey examining phenomena from the microscopic to the infinite possibilities in astronomy, geology, and biology.
Places to visit in walking distance from the venue
Unity park: A park compound that includes the Emperor Menelik II’s national palace, a zoo and much more. You can find more information on how to book a visit and what to expect during your visit on this websiteUnity park
Friendship park: The Friendship Square has a hill that has stairways. In between the stairways are flower belts. The stairs and belts converge to a central rally plaza in front of a rostrum. Walking down from the plaza is a dancing water fountain space and an outdoor amphitheater that has its stage on an artificial lake. On the other side of the lake is a riverside walkway.
The Space Science and Geospatial Institute HQ: Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) is an institute established in hopes of developing a collaborative capacity built in both space and geospatial sciences to bring about a socio economic impact in the region with the motto “FROM EARTH TO SPACE”. SSGI is one of the prominent institutes under the Ministry of innovation and technology working on the production, research and development of space and geospatial products and services. SSGI is organizing and hosting this year’s IAU symposium: IAU386.
Abrehot library: biggest public library in Ethiopia with 1.4 million books shelved in both hard and soft copy versions. It incorporates different spaces for different purposes. You can bring books for donation as well. To find out how to get access to the library spaces and books and how to donate you can visit Abrehot library