本卡尔敦, Z.

I hold a PhD in Astrophysics from Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France (1994), as well as a doctorate in Energetics from the University of Provence in Marseille, France (1985). In 1985, I co-founded Morocco’s first astrophysics laboratory at the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST). I later joined the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia at Cadi Ayyad University in 1992, and in 1999 contributed to the creation of the High Energy Physics and Astrophysics Laboratory (LPHEA). Under my leadership, Morocco inaugurated its first professional astronomical observatory at Oukaimeden in 2007, which I continue to direct. I have always been committed to promoting astronomy to the wider public. In 1999, I co-founded the Amateur Astronomy Association of Marrakech (3AM), a cultural and educational initiative aimed at inspiring interest in the universe, particularly among young students. My scientific work on astronomical site qualification positioned Morocco as a strong candidate during the site testing campaign for the European Extremely Large Telescope (EELT). I was elected President of the Moroccan National Committee for Astronomy in 2013, serving as liaison with the International Astronomical Union. Since 2016, I have served as President of the Arab Astronomical Society, and since 2019 as President of the Atlas Dark Sky Foundation, advocating for the reduction of light pollution and the creation of a dark sky reserve near the Oukaimeden Observatory. I am currently Director of the Observatories at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy and Space Science, University of Sharjah, where I continue to contribute to research, scientific development, and the advancement of astronomy in the region. Over the course of my career, I have authored or co-authored more than 500 publications in astronomy and astrophysics. I was also part of the team that discovered the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet system, a landmark achievement published in Nature.