Professor Datuk Dr. Mazlan Othman - Pacific Science Association

MAZLAN OTHMANDirector GeneralNational Space AgencyRESUMEBRIEF CAREER HISTORYJoined Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) as a Tutor in 1975. Became a lecturer uponobtaining a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Otago, New Zealand in 1981.Seconded to the Prime Minister’s Department in 1990 to head the Planetarium Division. ThisDivision became the Space Science Studies Division when its scope of responsibility wasexpanded to cover strategic National Space issues in 1993. Made Director General of the newDivision in the same year. Appointed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as Professor ofAstrophysics in 1994. Appointed Director of the United Nations Office for Outer SpaceAffairs in Vienna, Austria in 1999. Returned home to set up and lead the National SpaceAgency in July 2002.CAREER ACTIVITIESAs a lecturer of astrophysics at UKM (beginning 1981), efforts were focused on setting upacademic courses and laboratories for undergraduate and post-graduate training. Activitiesdesigned for building public awareness of astronomy and space were also initiated. Inclusionof space science in the formal national school curriculum became a reality in 1990.As an academic has published papers on space, environmental management issues in nationaland international journals, proceedings, chapters of books etc.Efforts towards the establishment of the National Planetarium began in earnest in 1986.Activities in Malaysia were interrupted by a period of sabbatical leave at University of Tokyo,Japan, for 6 months while undertaking professional observational work at Kiso Observatory.The Planetarium Project was formally launched by the government in 1989. Took over themanagement of the project in December 1990 and in May 1993 the National Planetarium wasopen to the public. Founded the Space Science Studies Division in the Prime Minister’sDepartment. In November 1994, as the Director General of the Space Science StudiesDivision, initiated the National Microsatellite Programme. The microsatellite, built jointly byMalaysian engineers and the University of Surrey, was completed in October 1997 and waseventually launched by a Russian rocket in 2000. Tiung-SAT provided images of the earthand information on the space environment. Was chiefly instrumental in institutingAstronautic Technology Sdn. Bhd (ATSB), a government-owned company, which is currently