Keynotes

Claudio Melo

Sustainability & Diversity Officer, ESO

Claudio Melo (Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Geneva) is an astronomer with a background in operations at the Paranal Observatory and ESO headquarters, who transitioned to science policy, promoting astronomy’s societal impact. He later contributed to Portugal’s space sector before returning to ESO as Sustainability & Diversity Officer. Leveraging astronomy’s perspective, Claudio integrates sustainability into ESO’s activities, ensuring the organization’s alignment with global sustainability goals and fostering resilience in a rapidly changing world.

Keynotes

Sherif Sedky

CEO, Egyptian Space Agency

Dr. Sherif Sedky was born in Cairo (Egypt) in December 1969. He has over 31 years of regional and international experience in international institutions in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, where he has worked at several universities and organizations, including the Egyptian Space Agency. Dr. Sedky published over 100 international referred journal and conference articles, holds 19 patents in the design and fabrication of miniaturized sensors and inertial systems, authored a book, and his H-index is 26 according to Google Scholar. He served in top senior executive management positions over the past 11 years and built a state-of-the-art research facility including the first clean room in Egypt and the region. In August 2022, Dr Sedky was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Egyptian Space Agency and in November 2023, as Chair of the Arab Space Cooperation Gsroup. As of June 2024, Dr. Sedky will be the Chair of COPUOS.