Global Astronomy Survey : Guatemala

First submission: Edgar Cifuentes [see human resources section] 13 Feb 2009
SPoC Approved : Yes

1. Professional (Research) Astronomy:

(i) Number of universities offering Astronomy (and their names)

There are no program in Astronomy yet

(ii) Number of universities offering Physics (and their names)

Two
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Since 1970)
Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (Since 1981)

(iii) Number of academics who have been trained in Astronomy (ideally
with their names and levels of qualification)
No one

(iv) Number of astronomical facilities (observatories, telescopes, etc)
and as much detail about each as possible (websites/contact details)
There are one observatory but in an University that not offer astronomy nor
physics
"Observatory Christopher Clavius" of Universidad Rafael Landivar
http://www.url.edu.gt/PortalURL/Contenido.aspx?o=1140&s=45

(v) Self evaluation (according to the different phases above, how would
you rate your country in terms of Professional Astronomy? Please include
any other relevant information to motivate your choice.)
Phase four
Physics career actually depends from Engineering School and we are trying to
construct and school of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy in the Universidad
de San Carlos de Guatemala trying to recover some physics graduates that are
following their PhD in Astronomy

2. Public Understanding of Astronomy:

(i) What governmental astronomy/science outreach programmes for the
public take place (co-ordinated either by government departments or
national facilities)
"National week of Science Technology and Innovation" is the only one program
to promote the science. The National Council of Science and Technology is in
charge of this activity

(ii) What non-governmental astronomy/science outreach programmes for the
public take place (NGO activities or international programmes that your
country is involved in)
I don´t know no one

(iii) Comment on the presence of astronomy in the media (TV, radio,
newspapers). Is it very prominent? Are there specific programmes on
astronomy? Is the media generally willing to publish news on astronomy?
The only regular presence of astronomy in the media is a column review of an
amateur astronomer. Ocasionally appears some news about astronomy but usually
from international agencies. Only now at the beguinning of 2009 there some
news related with the programed activities of our national node.

(iv) Comment on the presence of astronomy/science in the general culture
of the people. Are there any specific challenges or setbacks? Is
astronomy a welcome subject of conversation?
Astronomy is usually absent from the conversations of ordinary people unless
he has done some outstanding worldwide media publicity of some astronomical fact.
With the advent of peace in Guatemala after 30 years of war have sought to
strengthen multiculturalism in Guatemala and because it has been pointed out
the great maya astronomical inheritance

(v) Self evaluation (according to the different phases above, how would
you rate your country in terms of Public Understanding of Astronomy?
Please include any other relevant information to motivate your choice.)
Phase four

3. Astronomy in Schools:

(i) What governmental astronomy/science education and outreach
programmes for schools take place (co-ordinated either by government
departments or national facilities)
The National Science and Technology Council (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y
Tecnología) has two events to promote science to the general public, one is
Converciencia where invited Guatemalan scientists working in universities
abroad, including astronomers and astrophysicists, to provide a series of
lectures to all public, in all universities and in a downtown hotel. The other
event is "National Week in and Technology, An event that is aimed at all
public but rather a middle-level students, where unlike converciencia is often
invite professionals who reside in the country, this event tends to be more
directed towards technological lectures, but also have science topics
including astronomy

(ii) What non-governmental astronomy/science education and outreach
programmes for schools take place (NGO activities or international
programmes that your country is involved in)
No one

(iii) Comment on the presence of astronomy in the school curriculum. Is
it part of the school curriculum? Is it very prominent? What age groups?
The presence of the astronomy programs is almost non-existent and only
appears as part of natural science courses. Is present throughout the program
from pre-primary school to the end of the high school

(iv) Comment on the status of astronomy/science in schools. Are there
any specific challenges or setbacks? Sufficient number of students
studying maths and science? General interest in maths/science/astronomy
in schools?
In high school science there are science programs and there is too a Science
Olympiad that invites a good number of students, within which awards the best
but unfortunately number of students that choose science, as a career, is very
limited especially in the areas of physics and mathematics

(v) Self evaluation (according to the different phases above, how would
you rate your country in terms of Astronomy in Schools? Please include
any other relevant information to motivate your choice.)
Phase four