Bandung, UPI
The Science Education Study Program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Education (FPMIPA), Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), has launched an international Astronomy Workshop in collaboration with the Korean Astronomy Society (KAS). The program is designed for science and physics teachers, as well as undergraduate to doctoral students in Science Education.
Held over three days from February 2 to 4, 2026, the workshop serves as a continuation of the ongoing partnership between FPMIPA UPI and the Korean astronomy community. It focuses on strengthening teachers’ pedagogical and professional skills through practical, hands on approaches to teaching astronomy.
The event was officially opened by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs of FPMIPA UPI, Prof. Dr. Al Jupri, S.Pd., M.Sc., Ph.D. In his remarks, he expressed his deep appreciation to the KAS team for coming in person to share their expertise.
“We hope that this collaboration with KAS will not be limited to this training, but will continue through other activities in the years to come,” said Prof. Al Jupri.
The workshop brought together five experts from leading institutions in South Korea, along with a postgraduate student. They included Professor Myeong-Gu Park (Kyungpook National University), Professor Jungjoo Sohn (Korea National University of Education), Hyeondong Jang (Manager of the National Youth Space Center) Sungju Jang (Assistant Manager of the National Youth Space Center), as well as Wulandari Mizwala Aulia (Master’s student at Chungbuk National University).
Throughout the three days program, participants took part in a variety of engaging sessions. The first day introduced the history of the universe and the role of astronomy in science education. Participants also had the opportunity to observe the sun directly using telescopes and build simple DIY spectroscopy tools.
On the second day, the workshop shifted toward modern astronomy, including the use of web based programming tools for multi-wavelength analysis. Participants explored more technical topics such as rocket stability and basic programming for rover systems.
The final day featured an interactive Lander Design Workshop. One of the highlights was a session titled “Astronomy as a Gateway to Global Goals,” delivered by Wulandari Mizwala Aulia, which highlighted how astronomy can contribute to broader global development goals.
Participants showed strong enthusiasm and active engagement throughout the workshop, reflecting its potential to equip educators with more practical and engaging ways to teach astronomy in schools. (DN)
This initiative supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by strengthening teacher competence and improving science learning methods. It also contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through international collaboration and the integration of digital tools in astronomy education.