Symbolic Transfer Of Chancellorship Made At ISU Congress In Israel

The International Space University (ISU) has named Dr. Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin as its new Chancellor. ISU has been very selective in choosing Chancellors who are considered by its students as extremely important figures in the space world. The first Chancellor, A. C. Clarke is certainly most reputed as a Science Fiction writer (as one of ‘The Big Three’, together with Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein), but was also a scientist, passionate about space travel.

He was then followed by another important space personality, Prof. J.J. Dordain. Prof. Dordain was not only an outstanding figure with educational assignments at universities all over Europe, he was also strongly involved in the European space strategy and became Director General of ESA, the European Space Agency.

After prolongation of his term as chancellor, and in order to have a geographical rotation, the Board of Trustees approved a successor to Prof. Dordain in the person of another famous space pioneer, Dr. Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin.
 
After engineering studies Buzz Aldrin joined the Air Force as a pilot. Later he earned a doctorate at MIT. After being selected by NASA as astronaut, he was involved in Gemini missions and in particular in EVA experiments. He later became the second man to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
 
“ISU being the top of space education, I am delighted to be part of the leadership," Aldrin said. "I am so honored to be the new Chancellor of ISU following in Arthur C. Clarke's footsteps.”
 
"It was an honor for me to have two turns as ISU Chancellor and to have the privilege to work with the next generation of space experts," said Prof. Dordain, the immediate past Chancellor. "It is even more of an honor to be the chancellor between two persons I admired personally since many years and who both inspired my career."

A symbolic transfer of chancellorship took place at a special ISU event during the International Astronautical Federation yearly Congress, this year in Jerusalem, Israel.

(Image provided with ISU news release)

FMI: www.isunet.edu