China Focus: Lunar research station a cradle for international space talents -- UN official

HANGZHOU, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), initiated by China and involving multiple countries, is not only a hub for engineers and a laboratory for scientists, but also a cradle for international deep space talents, said a UN regional head of space education.

China is vigorously promoting the education and training of talents for the ILRS. Many top Chinese universities have established world-class education systems through years of efforts, featuring world-leading faculties, curricula and research environments, and have trained many outstanding space engineers and scientists for the world, according to Jing Guifei, deputy director of the Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP), affiliated to the UN.

The regional center plans to leverage the aerospace resources of Chinese universities over the next decade to offer extensive international talent education and training programs to all ILRS participating countries and organizations, Jing announced at a three-day conference commemorating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the CSSTEAP.

The ILRS is a visionary project aimed at establishing an expandable and maintainable system capable of long-term robotic operation with short-term human participation on the moon, said Ling Fei, deputy director of the international cooperation and exchange center of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory.

Hosted by Beihang University, the CSSTEAP is the sixth center to be established under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. As of September 2024, the CSSTEAP had cultivated 395 master's and doctoral students from 33 countries, and had conducted more than 30 short-term training courses -- training over 2,000 participants from more than 70 countries.

To date, several Chinese universities have been involved in ILRS education and training programs, such as Beihang University, the University of Science and Technology of China, Northwestern Polytechnical University and others, Jing said.

He noted that programs will encompass a range of disciplines, including space engineering, lunar science and project management tailored for master's and doctoral degree education.

"Through the close integration of theory and practice, we aim to cultivate high-end engineering, scientific and management talents, capable of leading future deep space exploration and technology development for all participating countries," he said.

Engineer Doctor Seyi Festus Olatoyinbo, executive director of the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English Language, affiliated to the UN, said they are quite excited about the fact that China is taking the lead in lunar research studies.

"We can bring in experts to join the programs and train the younger generation about what lunar research is going to involve. I am very excited to partner with China on education and training endeavors," he said.