ESERO Austria Opens in Linz:
Ars Electronica Center Linz Is Now the European Space Education Resource Office in Austria
press release: ESERO Austria Opens in Linz / PDF
(Linz/Paris, June 22, 2016) The Ars Electronica Center has been officially named Austria’s European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO). The ceremony inaugurating the 13th such ESERO was attended by Ingolf Schädler, director of the Department of Innovation in the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), Kai-Uwe Schrogl, head of the Strategy Department at the European Space Agency (ESA), Linz Deputy Mayor Bernhard Baier, chairman of the board of Ars Electronica Linz GmbH, and Gerfried Stocker, artistic director of Ars Electronica Linz. Several institutions applied to host Austria’s European Space Education Resource Office. The nod finally went to Linz’s Ars Electronica Center on the basis of the extensive educational offerings for students of all grades developed here over the years and the facility’s good working relationships with officials and organizations throughout the Austrian educational system. “ESERO fits perfectly into these structures,” the ESA noted in its announcement. In addition to Austria, there are ESEROs in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Sweden and the UK. The new regional headquarters in Austria is subsidized by the ESA and BMVIT together with Austria’s Research Promotion Agency (FFG).
ESERO Austria: Getting Students Enthused about Outer Space
The ESA launched the ESERO program 10 years ago. Its primary mission is to get young people interested in outer space as well as the scientific and technological fields associated with the cosmos. Accordingly, ESERO’s efforts chiefly target primary and secondary school teachers, who are provided with a wide array of instructional material and a continuing professional education program. ESERO Austria also offers students the opportunity to meet space experts from the private sector and academia and thereby obtain insights into the fascinating R&D work being done in this field. “We’re delighted to take this next step in our relationship with the ESA,” said Ars Electronica’s Gerfried Stocker in reference to the two organizations’ successful ongoing collaboration. “Since September 2015, one of the featured attractions at the Ars Electronica Center is the ‘Spaceship Earth’ exhibition produce in cooperation with the ESA. Plus, the Ars Electronica Futurelab and the ESA conducted an artist-in-residency program for the first time this year.” Deputy Mayor Baier added: “It’s great that additional impetus is being provided to this cooperative relationship, with Linz’s Ars Electronica Center now serving as the Austrian branch of the ESERO network.”
The European Space Agency
The ESA is an association of 22 member states. It’s headquartered in Paris. Its mission is to coordinate and carry out a joint European space program. The ESA’s spectrum of activities includes satellite missions, weightlessness research, Earth observation and educational programs.
https://ars.electronica.art/mediaservice/files/2016/07/ESERO_EN.pdf
Photo:
Opening ESERO / Fotocredit: Ars Electronica – Magdalena Leitner / Printversion
Photo:
Opening ESERO / Fotocredit: Ars Electronica – Magdalena Leitner / Printversion
