Durbin Training Camp 2

Yead Muhammad Ivan

In alignment with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) global theme, Women and Girls in Astronomy, we are excited to announce Durbin Training Camp 2. This event will be hosted at CASSA, Independent University, Bangladesh, from 6–7 March.

Durbin facilitates a series of intensive workshops and training camps designed to identify and recruit dedicated new volunteers through an exclusive fast-track process. This journey began in January 2025 with an inaugural workshop led by Dr. Lamiya Mowla at the Asian University for Women (AUW), Chattogram, followed by a second session hosted at CASSA in January 2026. Complementing these are the Durbin Training Camps; the first was organized by Dr. Lamiya Mowla along the banks of the Dhaleshwari River in Keraniganj, while the upcoming second Training Camp is set to take place at CASSA.

While Durbin recruitment remains open year-round via the standard procedures outlined in the Durbin Manual, these sessions offer a high-intensity entry point for aspiring members. Participants who excelled in the second workshop have already joined the ranks as Volunteer Applicants, and the same pathway will be available to those attending the upcoming March camp. If you are eager to contribute to our cosmic mission and accelerate your involvement, we encourage you to review the application details below and prepare to join our growing community of explorers.

Please note that mastery of the Durbin Workshop 2 materials is a prerequisite for this Training Camp; we expect all applicants to be familiar with those core concepts before applying.

Program

* The observations have to be done by each group separately. The participants will be divided into 6 groups.

Resources: (https://astro.unl.edu/naap/)

Topics:

1. Basic Coordinate and Seasons

2. The Rotating Sky

3. Cosmic Distance Ladder

Assessment Pretest: Must be completed together as a group.

Assessment Posttest: Must be completed and submitted individually.

                                              Instructor

Participation

• Seats: 30. We have 60% seats available for women participants only. Financial aid available for women participants outside Dhaka.
• Application form: https://forms.gle/xpLHCkN5HBmVoV5F9
• Deadline: February 24, 2026 (11:59:59 PM)
• Decision Announcement: February 28, 2026

Participant List