Launch of Europlanet Colombia
Europlanet Colombia is now a reality!
The first Europlanet Regional Hub outside Europe, Europlanet Colombia, was launched on 8 November 2025 during an event attended by 120 people at the Maloka Interactive Science and Technology Centre in Bogotá.
The inauguration event highlighted some of the most significant national research initiatives that relate to planetary science and provided an opportunity to find out more about and engage with Colombians who work in this area. Speakers included Dr Alejandro Guerrero-Caicedo (Universidad del Valle) and Dr Alberto Benavides-Herrán (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) who travelled from Cali to attend. Members of RECA Educación, winners of the Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement 2025, gave a presentation on their work to engage schools and students across Colombia. Video messages were sent by Dr Heidy M. Quitián-Lara, Dr Felipe Fantuzzi, Dr Jonathan Pelegrin and Dr Tatiana Bocanegra, as well as Prof Nigel Mason, the former President of Europlanet.
The aim of Europlanet Colombia is to create a space where knowledge and passion for the cosmos intertwine, promoting collaborative networks that will drive the region’s scientific future and strengthen high-impact research. This new Europlanet contact point in Colombia will foster collaboration on cutting-edge projects across a wide range of disciplines, including:
- Solar System Bodies
- Astrobiology and the Origins of Life
- Planetary Formation and Evolution
- Planetary Environments
- Space Exploration and Instrumentation
- Planetary Geosciences
- Astrochemistry
- Astronomical Instrumentation, Data Acquisition, Management, and Analysis
- Science Education and Public Outreach
- Heritage Astronomy and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Photos from the Launch Event
