Bangladeshi Antara recognised as an IAF Emerging Space Leader

Raihana Shams Islam Antara, a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at BRAC University, has been recognised as a 2023 IAF Emerging Space Leader (ESL) by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) for her contribution in the field of space technology. IAF renders this recognition to engage, inspire, and support the next generation of students and young professionals in this area, preparing them to be the future leaders of the international space community.

This year, the IAF committee selected 34 leaders from over 150 young professionals across 80 countries. The leaders, aged between 21 to 35, have careers in space studies and are actively involved in developing space-related activities and research in their respective countries. As per IAF, Antara has made notable contributions to her community by promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) studies among her students. Having graduated as a Space Systems Engineer, she later completed her Master's in Applied Science for Integrated Systems Engineering from Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. 

Antara's journey in space technology began with her involvement as an engineer in the development of Bangladesh's inaugural satellite, BRAC Onnesha. For this work, she was awarded the 2018 Science and Technology Youth Excellence Award by ACI Limited Bangladesh. She also has prior experience with AIT for small satellites. Over the years, her background as a space systems engineer, coupled with a diverse field encompassing antenna technology, communications, embedded systems, and robotics has shaped her into a versatile space professional - states the IAF website.

Antara is a graduate of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP), a top professional exchange programme offered by the US Department of State for women in STEM subjects. As the local representative of UNISEC-Global, an international nonprofit organisation that supports real-world space development initiatives, she serves as the point of contact for UNISEC Bangladesh. She also acts as the advisor for the BRAC University Student Branch Chapter of the IEEE Communication Society (ComSoc).

Additionally, she is an engineer working on the Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds satellite project, also known as the 'Birds Project' which was the 2017 winner of the AIRBUS GEDC Diversity Award. She is the first female participant from Bangladesh and a graduate of the Cansat Leaders Training programme. During her tenure at BRAC University, she co-founded the Laboratory of Space Systems Engineering & Technology (LASSET).