Ethiopia, a newly-minted member of the BRICS bloc, is looking to leverage the group's expertise to advance its space science ambitions, according to Dr. Getinet Ayane, a lecturer at Kotebe University of Education and an adjunct staff member at the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute.
In an interview with Sputnik Africa, Dr. Ayane, who participated in the recent 10th meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Astronomy in Kazan, Russia, highlighted Ethiopia's desire to strengthen collaborations with other BRICS nations in the field.
"From this workshop we are expecting a lot," he said. "We are expecting collaborations with the rest of BRICS community countries. Specifically, we need human capacity to go further in technology, in science, and innovation."
The Ethiopian delegate noted that there are a lot of initiatives underway in his country, and they want to take the Ethiopian space science program "one step further."
Dr. Ayane emphasized the existing collaborations between Ethiopian and Russian researchers, pointing to the exchange of students for research and observation, as well as joint research projects.
"One of the participants, a very famous professor who participates in this workshop, has visited Ethiopia many times, being part of joint research. And after this workshop, we are really expecting much better collaboration with Russia," he noted.