Author: Vladimir Karas
Affiliation: Astronomical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences
Country: Czech Republic
Title: Historical sites of astronomical observatories and their new role in promoting diversity and equity in scientific research
Scientific research in astronomy has been for centuries traditionally concentrated around major observatories. Because of the evolving global environment – the gradual climate change, the population growth, and the technological advances – many of the historical sites struggle to perform their original purpose of cutting-edge observations. Still the persisting atmosphere of the scientific institutions, their existing infrastructure and culture offer an ideal set-up for the new role contributing to new challenges of the present-day society; in particular, promoting diversity and equity in scientific research. We give examples where such a transition has been achieved or is currently in progress in the Czech Republic and we mention fruitful synergies with the most modern scientific infrastructures.
References
[1]: http://astro.cas.cz/karas/popular.htm
[2]: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006IAUSS…2E..91K/abstract