The XXXI General Assembly Business Sessions of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) ended 23 August 2021. The virtual meetings this week included pre-business The IAU Today sessions, with talks by international prizewinners, IAU PhD Prize winners, and leaders of IAU Offices and Executive Committee Working Groups.
At the General Assembly Business Sessions, the IAU welcomed Botswana as a new National Member, and Bolivia, Ecuador, and Iraq as Observers. The General Assembly also approved 11 Honorary Members, 281 new Individual Members, and 191 new Junior Members. The fraction of females is 35% among Junior Members, and 21% overall for IAU Members. This is an increase of 3% as compared with 2018.
60 National Representatives voted at the online IAU General Assembly gathered to approve Botswana’s application for full National Membership. The Astronomical Society of Botswana is delighted to report that it was enthusiastically supported!
This is a significant step forward for international links for Astronomy in Botswana.
The link to view the AGM https://www.youtube.com/