AsianScientist (Aug. 17, 2015) – Professor Kwok Sun, dean of science and chair professor of physics of the University of Hong Kong, was elected president of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Commission on astrobiology during this year’s general assembly of the IAU in Honolulu.
He will help the IAU to organize world-wide research and education activities in astrobiology. The commissions of the IAU represent research domains at the frontier of astronomical science. The President serves a term of 3 years until the next election in 2018.
Astrobiology is a subject of high current interest, covering the topics of origin of life on Earth and the search for evidence for extraterrestrial life. Kwok is widely acknowledged as the world-leading expert in the study of stellar synthesis of organic compounds. His discovery of stellar organics has generated world-wide interest on the possibility of stellar organics enriching the early Earth and therefore having influenced the origin of life on Earth.
At the most recent general assembly, Kwok organized a focus meeting on “the search for water and life’s building blocks in the universe.” Experts from all over the world gave presentations at this meeting on topics of how water and organics compounds in the Universe influenced the emergence of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere.
The IAU is the international organization for research and education in astronomy and has over 10,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1919, it is the official international body for astronomy and is funded through annual contributions by national governments of countries. Its goal is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation.
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Source: The University of Hong Kong.
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