After a one-year break, the Notre Dame Eco and Space Club staged its three-day annual signature event, the National Earth and Space Summit (NESS) in person.
The fifth edition of NESS started on May 19 and concluded on May 22.
This year's event attracted over 2,000 students from over 100 different institutions across Bangladesh. Over these three days, nearly 10,000 people have come to this event.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune"Because of Covid-19, we organized this event virtually last year. This year, however, students and parents were more excited about the event because it was held on campus," Souvik Ghosh, a student of grade 12 at Notre Dame College and also an organizer of Notre Dame Eco and Space Club, said.
"With the exception of 2021, we haven't had a crowd of more than 7,000 in the previous years," he said, adding that there aren't many clubs like Notre Dame Eco and Space Club in Bangladeshi institutions, which is why it has a different type of significance to the students.
The purpose of this event is to spark interest in astronomy and the environment among youths while also providing a platform for all interested students from across the country. It focuses on increasing students' understanding of the need for environmental protection and developing their abilities in the field of astronomy.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneThe Notre Dame Eco and Space Club organized the event by hosting over 15 activities on both online and offline platforms, focused on ecology and astronomy.
In the 5th NESS, there were solo events like Astronomy Olympiad, Sci-Fi story writing, Earth Science Olympiad, star mapping, scrapbook, children's craftwork, Earth and Astronomy workshops, photosphere 2.0, etc. There were also team events like wall magazines, Powerpoint presentations, Eco and Space Buzz, Eco project display, case study, Astronomical showcase, and Astro-movie quiz.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneJunior (classes 6-8), Secondary (classes 9-10, O levels), and Higher Secondary (classes 11-12, A-Levels) students had the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in astronomy. They even had the chance to learn more about this planet's evolution in the cosmic arena by attending two seminars, one on Earth and the other on Astronomy.
Mustak Ibn Ayub, Molecular Oncologist and Assistant Professor, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka was the chief guest at the conclusion and prize giving ceremony of the 5th NESS. Sheikh Aminur Rahman Noor, CMO, Nagad was the special guest of that day.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneNotre Dame Eco and Space Club, the country's first astronomy and space-based club was founded on October 28, 1992. During that time, it began as the Notre Dame Environmental Promotion Club, with the goal of protecting the environment, preventing wildlife extinction, and safeguarding biodiversity. Its name was changed subsequently because it was equally working on areas regarding outer space and astronomy.
In 2017, the Earth and Space Carnival was conducted for the first time by the Notre Dame Eco and Space Club.
