The ELT project is currently under way in Europe and North America. Astronomical sites depend critically on sky transparency and on aerosol loadings. A quantitative survey of aerosol optical properties at candidate ELT sites is an essential part of the site selection process. There are basically two methods to characterize aerosol properties: ground based measurements and satellite measurements. In this paper we will establish a full climatology of two sites very close to each other, but at a difference of 2300m in altitude: Izaña and Santa Cruz located in the Canary Islands. Both have sun photometers from the AERONET network. We also use the aerosol index determined from TOMS satellite data to determine how aerosol optical properties vary with altitude. We establish a correlation between the TOMS index and the aerosol optical thickness in both sites. Aerosol optical properties show very good correlation between Izaña and Santa Cruz. As a result we establish a set of relationships helpful to characterize sites at elevated altitude from data of neighbouring sites at low altitude.

Astronomy in Asia has continuously developed. Local wisdom in many Asian countries reflects their interest in astronomy since the historical period. However, the astronomical development in each country is different which depends on their cultures, politics and economics. Astronomy in some Asian developing countries such as China and India are well-developed while some other countries especially in south-east Asia, with some supports such as telescopes, training, experts etc. from some developed countries, are trying to promote relevant research in astronomy as well as use astronomy as a tool to promote scientific awareness and understanding for the public. Recently, a new national research institute in astronomy, called the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), with a 2.4-metre reflecting telescope has been established in Thailand. One of the major objectives of this research-emphasis institute would aim at a collaborative network among South-East Asian countries so as to be able to contribute new knowledge and research to the astronomical community.

During the last few years, Thailand has seen a significant change in the way astronomical research and education is pursued in the country. The government has approved the establishment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) which aims to develop not only astronomical research but also astronomy education at all levels, both in formal and informal education. A framework of national key projects exists which includes national facilities, national collaborative research networks, teacher training and public outreach programmes. Examples of these programmes will be presented in this paper.

In this paper we summarize the history and current state of astronomy in Vietnam. Future plans for the development of astronomy education and research in Vietnam are summarized and some avenues suggested. These include the construction of a planetarium in Hanoi, and the development of a curriculum for an undergraduate major and a Master's degree in astrophysics at some Universities, as well as the development and operation of an observatory in Hanoi.

Astronomy development in Thailand has improved significantly during the last few years. The government has approved the establishment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT). Roles of NARIT in the development astronomical research and astronomy education in Thailand includes a national framework, national facilities, collaborative research networks, teacher training and public outreach programmes. The new 2.4-metre reflecting telescope will serve not only astronomy community in Thailand but also in Southeast Asia.

As a result of collective efforts of an Australian–New Zealand VLBI team, the first New Zealand VLBI system was developed, and a series of test observations between New Zealand and Australia conducted. The equipment and techniques used to conduct New Zealand's first VLBI observations are discussed and results of work in Australia and New Zealand to obtain fringes and the image of the source (PKS1921-231) are presented. The road map for New Zealand radio-astronomy as well as New Zealand involvement in the SKA is discussed.

Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), Indonesia and Gunma Astronomical Observatory (GAO), Japan have been proceeding with several programmes of mutual collaboration in the fields of astronomical research and education since 2002. ITB with Bosscha observatory has a great interest in education of astronomy for public people as well as in the university education and research of their own, and GAO is a public observatory operated by Gunma prefecture local government equipped with a 150-cm reflector and some smaller telescopes, which are capable of scientific research of high grade. We will report some of our cooperative activities including the remote accessing of the telescopes of each observatory by each other, which can provide opportunities for astronomical experiences of the opposite hemisphere for various people of each country. Some scientific collaboration works such as common instruments and data analysis systems developed on both sites are also reported.

This paper summarizes the present situation concerning astronomy in Iran. Shiraz University introduced astronomy in the mid-1960s and established the Biruni Observatory. Astronomy is also carried out at Tabriz University and in Meshed, Zanjan, Tehran, Babol and other places. The Astronomical Society of Iran is flourishing, and is about 30 years old. Site-testing is underway for a National Observatory of Iran, which will be equipped with a 2-m class optical telescope. Iran publishes Nojum, the only astronomical monthly magazine of the Middle East, which is presently in its fifteenth year.

During the immediate post-Soviet period, the main infrastructure of astronomy over the territory of the former Soviet Union (FSU) was saved, in spite of dramatic decreases in financial support. Overall the situation for FSU astronomy is now stable. In Latvia, the 32-m radio-dish is in working order. This allows it to participate in VLBI programmes. In Russia, all three 32-metre radio dishes of the QUASAR VLBI system are operational, as well as the 2-m telescope with a high-resolution spectrograph (up to resolution R≃ 500 000) and the horizontal solar telescope (R= 320 000) of the Russian-Ukrainian Observatory on Peak Terskol (Caucasus, altitude 3100 m). However the situation with the observatory itself is worrying, because of the regional authorities' attempt to privatize its infrastructure.

The process of equipping a number of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (including Russian) observatories with CCD-cameras is in progress. To solve staff problems, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have begun to prepare national specialists in astronomy, and the Baltic States, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine continue to prepare astronomers.

Teaching of astronomy at schools is obligatory only in the Ukraine and partially in the Baltic states. To maintain a “common astronomical area”, the Eurasian Astronomical Society (EAAS) continues its programme of reduced-price subscription to Russian-language astronomical journals and magazines in the territory of FSU, the organization of international conferences and Olympiads for school students, and lectures for school teachers and planetarium lecturers, etc.

Telescopes in Russia and other CIS territories permit to monitor an object more then 12 hours and can be used in global monitoring programmes. The Central Asian sites have some of the very best astro-climates in the world. They are similar to (or a little better than) the well known Chilean sites (median seeing 0.7′′, very high fraction of clear nights, no light pollution and no high wind). It is imperative that these sites be protected and intensively used by the international astronomical community.

The theoretical results obtained in Uzbekistan in the field of relativistic astrophysics and cosmology are presented. In particular electrostatic plasma modes along the open field lines of a rotating neutron star and Goldreich-Julian charge density in general relativity are analyzed for the rotating and oscillating magnetized neutron stars. The impact that stellar oscillations of different type (radial, toroidal and spheroidal ones) have on electric and magnetic fields external to a relativistic magnetized star has been investigated. A study of the dynamical evolution and the number of stellar encounters in globular clusters with a central black hole is presented. Perturbation features and instabilities of the large-scale oscillations on the background of the non-linearly pulsating isotropic and isotropic Ω-models are studied. The non-stationary dispersion equation of the sectorial perturbations for the general case and the results of certain oscillation mode analysis are given. The model composed as the linear superposition of two other models was constructed and the stability of this model is studied. In a cosmological setting the theory of macroscopic gravity as a large-distance scale generalization of general relativity has been developed. Exact cosmological solutions to the equations of macroscopic gravity for a flat spatially homogeneous, isotropic space-time are found. The gravitational correlation terms in the averaged Einstein equations have the form of spatial curvature, dark matter and dark energy (cosmological constant) with particular equations of state for each correlation regime. Interpretation of these cosmological models to explain the observed large-scale structure of the accelerating Universe with a significant amount of the nonluminous (dark) matter is discussed.

In this paper the basic researches, telescopes and devices of the Khurel Togoot astronomical observatory, which was founded during the International Geophysical Year, are briefly described. Our astronomical observatory is located on Bogd Mountain near the capital city Ulaanbaatar. Almost 50 years of scientific work has been carried out there. In particular, astrometric researches, GPS, solar researches and observations of minor planets are conducted. Now these scientific researches basically are maintained and extended, with the introduction of modern technology. As an example of the data received by our solar telescope ‘Coronagraph’, some solar images will be shown. Recently we equipped this telescope with a CCD camera. Because of the transformation of the economy in Mongolia, there are at present difficulties with the preparation of young professional astronomers and with the purchase of new astronomical equipment.

Astronomy pupils in Armenia get their first ideas on astronomy at elementary schools. Astronomy as a distinct subject is taught at all secondary schools in the country. Teaching is conducted according to a unified program elaborated jointly by professional astronomers and astronomy teachers. Unfortunately only one hour per week is allotted for teaching astronomy, which obviously is not enough workload to hire specialized astronomy teachers at every school, and at many schools this subject is tutored by non-specialists. Many schools partly compensate this lack of teachers by organizing visits to the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) for pupils, where they also attend short lectures on astronomy. In some schools optional training in astronomy is organized by amateurs, for the purpose of a deeper understanding in astronomy.

During recent years annual competitions for revealing gifted pupils in astronomy have been organized. These competitions have three rounds, namely, in schools, in districts and the final round is, as a rule, held at BAO. The national winners successfully participate in and win prestigious prizes at international astronomical Olympiads as well.

At Yerevan State University (YSU) there is a department for astrophysics, which was set up in 1946 and is operating to date. This department trains specialists for a career in astrophysics. Only one or two students graduate from this department yearly at present, while in the 1980s a dozen specialists were trained every year. BAO serves as the scientific base for the students of YSU as well, and a number of staff members from BAO conduct special courses for YSU students. YSU provides a Master's degree in astrophysics, and BAO is granting a Doctor's (PhD) degree since the 1970s.

The Suffa International Radio Observatory to be completed in coming years and the new radio astro-climate (seeing) research proposals for radio weather forecasting are described.

The problem of light pollution became important mainly since 1960, by growth of urban development and using more artificial lights and lamps at the nighttimes. Optical telescopes share the same range of wavelengths as are used to provide illumination of roadways, buildings and automobiles. The light glow that emanates from man made pollution will scatter off the atmosphere and affects the images taken by the observatory instruments. A method of estimating the night sky brightness produced by a city of known population and distance is useful in site testing of the new observatories, as well as in studying the likely future deterioration of existing sites. Now with planning the Iranian National Observatory that will house a 2-metre telescope and on the way of the site selection project, studying the light pollution is propounded in Iran. Thus, we need a site with the least light pollution, beside other parameters, i.e. seeing, meteorological, geophysical and local parameters. The seeing parameter is being measured in our four preliminary selected sites at Qom, Kashan, Kerman and Birjand since two years ago using an out of focus Differential Image Motion Monitor. These sites are selected among 33 candidate sites by studying the meteorological data obtained from the local synoptic stations and the Meteosat. We measured and used the Walker's law to estimate the Sky brightness for three of these sites

The data obtained using an 8-inch Meade telescope with a ST7 CCD camera for above sites are consistent with the estimated values of the light pollution mentioned above.

The purpose: to emphasize, that there are some specific features of the development of science in the New Independent States (NIS) of the Former Soviet Union. These features demand enhanced attention of the organizers of the IHY. It is necessary to create effective mechanisms for the stimulation of the connection to world science of the dormant part of fundamental scientific knowledge of these countries, which has been saved up for fifty of years. Probably, the IHY is the last opportunity of rescuing the dormant part of this knowledge from full oblivion.

The method adopted is to discuss and analyse the general tendencies in science in the NIS by reference to individual cases, in particular for meteor astronomy.

Results: The features and history of the development of meteor astronomy during the existence of the Soviet Union and the subsequent period give a key to understanding of the problem. Meteor astronomy can be assumed to be a young science. It is an example of a cross-disciplinary science. It is an example of a science having a sharp rise, due to the project of the IGY and to subsequent geophysical projects. Meteor astronomy is a science directly connected with the launching of the first space satellite of the Earth and the evaluation of problems of meteoroid danger to space missions.

Commission 22 (Division III) of the IAU coordinated the development of meteor astronomy during the IGY. The known Soviet researcher of meteors V. Fedynskiy headed this Commission during four years since 1958. In the USSR numerous meteor centres were created and activated. The general management was concentrated in Moscow. Despite the close interaction under global projects of the Soviet Union with other countries, there still existed a language barrier. The language barrier, together with other reasons, has led to the creation in the USSR of a powerful meteor science, but only in the Russian language.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the meteor centres have remained, but without ordinary central management. The scientific results have remained but as an isolated, inaccessible science published in English.

Conclusion: Reunification of the scientific achievements of the last few years in the NIS with international science should become the task of the IHY. Revival of the activity of the some of the centres will be useful.

After a brief survey of the foundations, development and the present status of astronomy education at all levels, a review of research in astronomy in Serbia and in Montenegro is given.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina astronomy teaching is almost nonexistent. There are only several courses within universities and they are usually given by physicists who themselves have had only elementary courses in astrophysics. When educational outreach is in question, the situation is even more grim. On the other hand, there is a huge interest for astrophysics in the student population. There are several solutions and possibilities which I will present, together with a discussion of the main obstacles which need to be overcome.

Beginning in the autumn of 2008, the first generation of astronomy master's students will start a two-year course in Astrophysics offered by the Physics Department of the University of Split, Croatia (http://fizika.pmfst.hr/astro/english/index.html). This unique master's course in south-eastern Europe, following the Bologna convention and given by astronomers from international institutions, offers a series of comprehensive lectures designed to greatly enhance students’ knowledge and skills in astrophysics, and prepare them for a scientific career. An equally important aim of the course is to recognize the areas in which astronomy and astrophysics can serve as a national asset and to use them to prepare young people for real life challenges, enabling graduates to enter the modern society as a skilled and attractive work-force. In this contribution, I present an example of a successful organization of international astrophysics studies in a developing country, which aims to become a leading graduate programme in astrophysics in the broader region. I will focus on the benefits of the project showing why and in what way astronomy can be interesting for third world countries, what are the benefits for the individual students, nation and region, but also research, science and the astronomical community in general.

This paper outlines the main features of the International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA), a programme developed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1967. The main goal of this programme is to support astronomy in developing countries by organizing a school lasting 3 weeks for students with typically a M.Sc. degree. The context in which the ISYA were developed has changed drastically over the past 10 years. We have moved from a time when access to any large telescope was difficult and mainly organized on a national basis, to the situation nowadays where data archives are established at the same time that any major telescope, ground-based or in space, is built, and these archives are accessible from everywhere. The concept of the virtual observatory reinforces this access. However, the rapid development of information and communications technologies and the increasing penetration of internet have not yet removed all barriers to data access. The role of the ISYA is addressed in this context.

In this paper, I discuss some aspects of the design of undergraduate and graduate astronomy curricula, broadly defined, for developing countries. A fundamental requirement is to develop students' ability and desire to learn, both in university and beyond. I then discuss several aspects of the curriculum: (i) The programme of coursework in astronomy and related topics such as physics and mathematics; (ii) The associated practical and project work to develop skills as well as knowledge; (iii) Linking the coursework, effectively, to various aspects of research; (iv) Development of general academic and professional skills such as oral and written communication, teaching, planning and management, and the ability to function as part of an interdisciplinary team; and (v) Orientation to the culture of the university and to the science and the profession of astronomy.

To accomplish all of these goals may seem daunting, especially as many of them are not achieved in the most affluent universities. But much can be gained by recognizing that there are well-established “best practices” in education, achieved through formal education research, reflection, and experience. Simple resources, effectively used, can be superior to the highest technology, used without careful thought. It is often best to do a few things well; “less can be more”. And effective partnership, both within the local university and with the outside astronomical community, can also contribute to success.