Zhejiang Province revitalizes Buddhist legacy, boosts tourism

Travel

The Xuedou Temple in Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang Province Photos: VCGWhether it is the Guanyin culture represented by the Putuo Mountain in Zhoushan, or the Maitreya Buddha culture showcased at the Xuedou Mountain in Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang Province has been gifted by history with rich Buddhist tourist resources. Including the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, the province boasts more than 4,000 Buddhist temples built in eras such as Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). In ancient times, these were sacred destinations for Buddhists, but today they have become popular touristic destinations. Historical treasuresThe Xuedou Mountain in Ningbo’s Fenghua district is closely associated with the Maitreya culture since the district has long been believed to be the birthplace of the Maitreya Buddha’s incarnation – Monk Budai. The name Maitreya comes from a Sanskrit word, which means “friendship.” In Chinese, this Buddha is called Mile Fo. According to Chinese folklore, Monk Budai was born at the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He was known for his plump figure, generous personality and an ever-present smile. “His image closely resembles that of the Maitreya Buddha as portrayed in Chinese culture, showcasing the unique development of Buddhism in China and its integration with the country’s folk culture,” Ou Yufen, a Buddhist scholar told the Global Times. The signature Mile Fo culture has given Ningbo an opportunity to develop cultural tourism. In 2023, a themed cultural festival was launched, incorporating academic forums and the Mile Fo culture-related temple fair. The Maitreya Altar, a new landmark of the Xuedou Mountain was inaugurated in an event that involved more than 2,000 visitors from home and abroad. “The Buddhism-themed event isn’t solely to cater to the Buddhist community. Instead, it serves as a lever to help the public gain a deeper understanding of the local culture, environment, food and so forth,” cultural sociologist Xu Shuming told the Global Times. Similar to Ningbo’s Maitreya theme, Zhoushan, also located in Zhejiang, boasts its own Buddhist destination, the Putuo Mountain. Dedicated to Guanyin, a Bodhisattva known as the Goddess of Mercy in China, the mountain is home to several important temples, including the famous Puji Temple, which houses impressive statues and historical relics.Compared to other Buddhist sites in Zhejiang Province, the Putuo Mountain is always popular and crowded with visitors. However, to better leverage its resources, the site has initiated a detailed strategy. Focusing on the management of scenic spots, the Longsha area of the Putuo Mountain issued a detailed plan in August 2024. The document focuses on the protection of scenic spots and the management of the nearby residential area. Additionally, it also specifies that a total of 22 types of facilities related to travel, sightseeing, and accommodation will be established in the area. The document was the first detailed plan approved and put into action since the establishment of the Putuo Mountain Scenic Area in 1982. 
A statue of the Maitreya Buddha, or Mile Fo at the Feilai Peak, next to the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province Smart management Leveraging the advanced innovative industries of Zhejiang Province, the local’s Buddhist tourism resources are attempting to integrate technology and digitalization.To provide all-round support to the large number of visitors, the Putuo Mountain scenic area has launched an “On-Demand Travel” app. The app features multiple functions such as a code to access multiple parts of the scenic area, and a reservation system supporting hotel booking, guided tours, and luggage handling.   In Hangzhou, the city’s most well-known Buddhist site is the Lingyin Temple. Here a creative system that is called the “1+6+N” has been designed and used for the digital management of the site. Data about the temple’s real-time conditions, traffic flow and potential security problems are gathered by the system. At the site’s headquarters, also known as the “data control cabin,” a huge digital screen has also been installed, allowing staff members to promptly cope with any emergencies on site. This technology also supports efforts to preserve the site’s Buddhist cultural heritage.Since 2015, the Lingyin Temple has employed 3D imaging technology to conduct three-dimensional digital preservation of its cultural relics. This work includes taking photos and making stone rubbings of over 200 cliff inscriptions around the Feilai Peak, the Lingyin Temple’s most iconic visiting spot. To better engage visitors, and especially young tourists, the Linying Temple has also introduced a range of creative products, including milk tea, prayer beads bracelets, and coffee products that carry Buddhist aesthetics such as bamboo decorations and images of Buddhas. These products have gained exposure on social media, attracting more visitors to the traditional temple. “Traditional Buddhist culture is not opposed to modern societal culture; rather, it should embrace the progress of the times, especially the modern developments in China,” Ou told the Global Times.

Book review: Essays on urban nature

Arts & Culture, Books

As seasons change and the days become shorter, I often find myself reaching for books about the natural world. While I’m not an avid nonfiction reader, short books about someone’s love for the outside are among my favorites.“This is How a Robin Drinks: Essays on Urban Nature” by Joanna Brichetto is just that. Brichetto, a naturalist and writer from Tennessee, has written a collection of 52 seasonal essays that blend her life experience with chronic illness with observations of nature in urban areas and the human relationship with it.Ashley Love, a librarian at Denver Public Library’s Central branchFrom the beginning, I could sense that Brichetto and I were kindred spirits. While I am not a naturalist by training, I can certainly talk about native bee populations and the beauty of a cottonwood tree (a keystone species!) with anyone willing to listen.Her essays about the importance of hackberry trees, the function of dandelion clocks, and the beauty of samaras were a balm to my soul. I saw the reflection of my own tendency to engage with the outside world and the seemingly commonplace.In one particularly poignant essay, Brichetto details her astonishment at the imprints left by fallen leaves on the sidewalk after a rainshower. A man working nearby notices her looking at them and offers to power wash them away. She writes “We speak at the same time while looking at the same thing, though we do not see it the same way. I want to capture the art. He wants to wash it away.”As humans, we interact with nature in a multitude of ways each day–whether by watering our house plants, walking the dog, or driving past color-changing trees. In this collection, Brichetto invites readers to see beauty in the often ignored and mundane, to slow down and realize the miraculous ways that nature moves and adapts around us. She stated, “Nature is under our feet, over our heads, and beside us—the very places we need to know first.” An ode to the virtues of our everyday lives and the nature that exists all around us, “This is How a Robin Drinks” is a moving, funny, and approachable book that urges us to take care of our world and the creatures we share it with.“This is How a Robin Drinks” can be found at your closest Denver Public Library location or as an eBook at denverlibrary.org. Already read it? Check out these read-alikes: “The Book of Delights” by Ross Gay, “World of Wonders” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, “Earth Keeper” by Scott Momaday or “The Comfort of Crows” by Margaret Renkl.Ashley Love is a librarian at Denver Public Library’s Central branch. She spends her free time gardening, hiking, and reading long fantasy books.

Q&A with Skanska USA’s Scott Cannon on construction’s skills shortage

Technology

Scott Cannon, executive vice president and general manager for Skanska Building operations in Atlanta, Georgia, US, discussed the value of internship programmes.

Scott Cannon (Image: Skanska)

More construction workers are needed every day in the US, but there are legitimate concerns in the industry that the recruiting and retention ecosystems are falling short of the country’s needs. 
As a result, more firms are implementing and revamping apprenticeship and internship programmes to better engage the country’s young professionals. 
Cannon shared his thoughts on Skanska’s intern programme with Construction Briefing as well as reflecting on his own time as a Skanska intern more than two decades ago.
Can you explain your relationship with the Skanska internship programme? 
I’m Scott Cannon, general manager for Skanska USA Building’s Georgia operations, based in Atlanta.
I started my career in construction as a Skanska intern in the early ‘90s when we were known as Beers Construction. Since I went through the internship experience, I can appreciate the impact of our program. I’m really engaged with our internship program and still join our recruiters at career fairs when my schedule permits and often share with potential and current interns how what we do at Skanska can shape the future of their careers in construction.
This year, we had 195 interns across all Skanska business units in the US. [Of those], 155 interns are from USA Building, making it the largest cohort ever for Skanska USA Building.
What’s the single most important part of the internship programme? What makes it so vital?
Students learn a lot in their classroom curriculum, but nothing really compares to the in-depth, hands-on experience of a construction site. Being onsite and putting the theoretical knowledge from the classroom into practice allows our interns to understand the complexities and challenges of construction firsthand. We strive to give our interns a real perspective of what a career in construction will be like after college.
With that in mind, we’ve made a concerted effort to connect our interns across business units, nationally and internationally, over the last couple of years. We hold a virtual Fika call with our Swedish interns and a networking and project highlight call with our US and United Kingdom interns.
Our goal is to give our interns a feel for what it’s like to work at Skanska and knowing you can reach out to your colleagues across the country or across the world is part of that experience.
What’s different about today’s internship programmes?
A construction worker uses virtual/augmented reality in a remote location. (Image: Adobe Stock)

The advancement and adaptability of technology is a big difference from 20 years ago.
The virtual connection we offer our interns with our teams in the Nordics and Europe wasn’t a possibility on the scale that we can provide today. When it comes to the day-to-day job, when I was an intern, we didn’t have technology like Procore to aid in solving things quickly. We had to call someone and go to the construction site to find them if they didn’t answer.
I remember in my first bid room, project executives were discussing if we could afford to have a fax machine on the project.
With the evolution of technology and how we work in the industry, today’s interns can seek out and receive information much easier and faster. Although, this convenience can come at the cost of critical face-to-face communication, which we had more of 10-20 years ago.

Another assessment of our current interns is their ability to multitask — it far exceeds the interns of 10 and 20 years ago. We have an intern who will work remotely in a project engineering capacity for six to ten hours a week when he returns to college this fall. The advancement of technology makes it possible for our teams to adapt to this option for work and allows our interns to continue to get that real-world experience in a way that wasn’t available in the past.
What future innovations to intern programmes would be valuable? 
We continue to see the need to recruit employees who have non-traditional degrees such as business, data, technology, marketing and others. Just this past year, we hired our first data scientist.
Training these employees to serve their specific role is important, but they also have a general understanding of our business and the construction industry. I can see future innovations helping to bridge that gap in knowledge and understanding.
Any final thoughts and comments?
The Kendeda Building at Georgia Institute of Technology in the US. It’s said to be the 28th “Living Building” constructed in the world. (Image: Kendeda Building)

I don’t think people outside of our industry make the connection between construction and STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics].
Yes, engineering is the ‘E’, but exposing more students to how engineering applies to construction is key. There has been a big push to get more people interested in STEM degrees, but we need more awareness of construction as a STEM career path.
There aren’t many other careers where you can see and experience a tangible product from all your hard work. I built the hospital where my daughter was born as a preemie, and the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] where she was treated until she was strong enough to come home.
I built the first ‘Living Building’ in the Southeast, the 28th in the world, for my alma mater, Georgia Institute of Technology. To play a part in building this living laboratory means so much to me, professionally and personally.
It makes Skanska’s core value of building for a better society come alive.

Young Thug’s girlfriend Mariah the Scientist shares emotional statement on rapper’s release after plea deal U-turn

Science and Health

YOUNG Thug’s girlfriend has said she is “so grateful” for the rapper’s release after he was allowed to walk free from prison on Thursday. The 33-year-old Grammy winner, born Jeffery Lamar Williams, was behind bars for more than 900 days after his arrest on racketeering and gang-related charges.4Rapper Young Thug entered his plea deal on Thursday, sentenced to time already servedCredit: Reuters4His girlfriend and singer Mariah The Scientist pictured performing on October 13, 2024 in South Fulton, GeorgiaCredit: GettyIn May 2022, prosecutors alleged the rap label he founded was a front for an organized crime syndicate responsible for “75 to 80% of violent crime” in Atlanta.He was sentenced on Thursday to time served and 15 years of probation. He was released later on Thursday night. In a statement, Young Thug’s girlfriend and singer Mariah the Scientist – real name Mariah Amani Buckles – said she was “so grateful” for the ruling. “This is more than what we prayed for,” she told reporter Michael Seiden. Read More News”We are so grateful, this is the greatest opportunity we’ve ever been presented with.”“I cannot say it enough, I cannot repay you for this. You have changed our lives, Jeffery’s life and mine.” The couple recently celebrated their third anniversary, and were joined by rappers Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, and T.I in celebrating the news. It came after Young Thug told the court on Thursday that he takes “full responsibility” for his crimes and the charges against him. “To really everybody that has got something to do with this situation, I want to say sorry,” he said. He went on to describe himself as “a good guy with a good heart” who found himself “in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool,” BBC News reports. “And I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad… and it could fall on you.”Prosecutors had planned to recommend a sentence of 45 years for the rapepr, with 25 of those spent in custody and 20 on probation.Negotiations, however, were unsuccessful, and Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker instead chose his punishment as the time he has already served. As part of the deal, Young Thug pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges.He also entered a no-contest plea to leading a gang and violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) Act.“I want you to try to be more of the solution and less of the problem,” Judge Whitaker told him.She went on to hand the rapper 100 hours of community service and a ban on contact with gang members and former co-defendants.Read More on The US SunHe is also banned from the metropolitan Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his 15-year probation. This can be broken only in exceptional circumstances – for example a funeral or wedding in the area. 4Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, and his lawyer, Brian Steel, pictured in the Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on June 10, 2024Credit: AP4Young Thug performs at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021Credit: Getty

South African Business Aims To Increase Trade And Investment With Nigeria

Business News

South African business aims to increase trade and investment with Nigeria, given that trade flows from the West African nation are currently dominated by crude oil imports.

The South Africa-Nigeria Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (JMACITI) is a public private partnership launched by the two governments and business at the end of 2021, to highlight opportunities and address market access and operational issues between the countries. 

The latest initiative under the JMACITI umbrella is a video initiated by South African business that offers a snapshot of South Africa’s operating environment and investment opportunities for Nigerian companies.

Speaking in the video, Lungisa Fuzile, Regional Chief Executive: South & Central Region, Africa Regions, of the Standard Bank Group, says: “When South Africa and, Nigeria are aligned, it becomes easy to pull the different parts of the continent together towards a common agenda.”

The two countries, which are among the biggest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, need to work together for the continent to deliver more effectively on its Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, he adds.

Lerato Mataboge, Deputy Director General of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, says: “South Africa offers a predictable environment to investors. So our regulations, our policies, even legislation, are quite accessible.

“South Africa is very open to investments from the rest of Africa. In fact, intra-African investment is a policy priority of ours,” she says, adding that the current reform of South Africa’s visa landscape will be an enabler for greater trade and investment.

Sola Adegbesan, President of the South Africa-Nigeria Business Chamber in Johannesburg and head of Global Markets Sales for the Standard Bank Group, says that despite the advantages between the two countries in both directions, the number of Nigerian companies invested in South Africa is “not as much as you would expect”.

“We at the Chamber expect that number could grow significantly, and we’re more than happy to welcome more Nigerian companies and help to facilitate some of these investment initiatives.” He states that in addition to investment opportunities, there is a large pool of investment capital in South Africa that Nigerian companies could tap into.

Nigerians interested in South Africa must be aware of the country’s investment priorities and the rules and regulations underpinning trade and investment transactions, to ensure a smooth and successful experience, speakers said.

Bongi Kunene, Managing Director of The Banking Association South Africa (BASA), explains: “It is critical for the success of trade between the countries to ensure that correct processes are followed throughout the value chain. If there are any issues, the rules must be clear.”

Other interviewees spoke about the need to make it easier to get visas to travel between the countries. They also highlighted the need for prospective business partners to work together to improve trust and trade between the two countries, for the benefit of all.

Hawaiʻi scientists plan for landing in Kona for annual AstroDay event

Science and Health

On Saturday, learners of all ages can explore Hawaiʻi’s new contributions and discoveries in astronomy from working astronomers, engineers, researchers and educators during AstroDay at Kona Commons.

Keiki make Rice Krispies pop from static electricity during an activity with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

The event organized by the Maunakea Astronomy Outreach Committee will feature 20 institutions, including Maunakea Observatories, Maui observatories, and other local and national institutions. They will engage with the community through demonstrations and activities that will dive into the many aspects of astronomy.

Carolyn Kaichi, an education and outreach specialist for the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, has been organizing the annual AstroDay events in Hilo and Kona for about 10 years.

“I think that there is a need for connection between scientists, kids, families and the community in general,” Kaichi said. “A lot of times, there seems to be a misconception that science doesn’t apply to everyone, but people working in science are like anybody else living in the community. We just like to share our love, especially astronomy.”

During AstroDay in Hilo last year, representatives from Subaru Telescope brought a television that portrayed different information an astronomer could get from the telescope on Maunakea. The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo brought a static electricity sphere for fun experiments. Hilo High Robotics brought robots for keiki to learn and use. And, the NASA Solar System Ambassadors brought maps, photographs and other tangible information from the Artemis mission.

A representative from Subaru Telescope shows keiki what they can see through a telescope during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADParticipants from Maunakea Observatories coming to Konaʻs event this year include the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, Subaru Telescope, W.M. Keck Observatory, Gemini Observatory, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the Sublimeter Array project from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Thirty-Meter Telescope International Observatory and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, which is operated by East Asian Observatory.

As an addition to the annual AstroDay event, the Institute for Astronomy will be bringing a solar telescope for the first time for anyone interested in safely viewing the surface of the sun.

Participating Maui observatories include Las Cumbres Observatory and the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy Maui, which both operate on Haleakalā. 

A keiki looks at 3D images at the NASA Space Ambassadors booth during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

Other Hawaiʻi Island institutions and programs participating include the Maunakea Visitor Information Station, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Astrophysics Club, Project PANOPTES, Onizuka Space Science Program,  NASA Solar System Ambassadors, National Weather Service, International Lunar Observatory Association, Thelma Parker Memorial and School Library, Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum and PISCES.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADAlthough they were late registering, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will be joining for the first time in a few years and the University of Hawaiʻi College of Engineering will also be represented as they share more information about the “Space Sciences Initiative.”

The Space Sciences Initiative is a collaboration between the College of Engineering, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy and is the first step in establishing a space engineering and instrument development center for students in Hilo.

Construction of the high-tech center is still years away and tentatively scheduled to be completed by 2030, which is dependent on securing funding for the construction phase. However, the academic programming started this semester and will be offered as the center is developed.

“Prior to this initiative there was no direct avenue for local kids on the Big Island to major in engineering,” Kaichi said. “The College of Engineering will be at AstroDay to talk about new program, which will raise whole new generation of homegrown engineers who will, hopefully, stay and work here on their home island.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADIn a 2019 report on astronomy in Hawaiʻi, the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization found that the industry supported the employment of 1,313 residents and that there are approximately 500 jobs at observatories on Maunakea and Haleakalā that are held by engineers and technicians who specialize in optics, software, data science, materials, mechanics, systems and cryogenics.

Keiki learn how to operate robots from the Hilo High robotics team during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

“There is a great need for engineers in the science community on Hawaiʻi Island and a big desire to hire more local engineers for specialized positions,” Kaichi said. “The initiative hopes to make an engineering career as easy and accessible to local students as possible.

“I think there is an engineer in all of us, all it takes is lighting the spark and growing the flame,” she continued.

AstroDay is free and will be outside the Kona Commons from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Free giveaways will be available while supplies last and there will be two drawings at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for four special grand prizes––two beginning-level telescopes and two NASA-themed skateboards.

Hawaiʻi scientists plan for landing in Kona for annual AstroDay event

Science and Health

On Saturday, learners of all ages can explore Hawaiʻi’s new contributions and discoveries in astronomy from working astronomers, engineers, researchers and educators during AstroDay at Kona Commons.

Keiki make Rice Krispies pop from static electricity during an activity with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

The event organized by the Maunakea Astronomy Outreach Committee will feature 20 institutions, including Maunakea Observatories, Maui observatories, and other local and national institutions. They will engage with the community through demonstrations and activities that will dive into the many aspects of astronomy.

Carolyn Kaichi, an education and outreach specialist for the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, has been organizing the annual AstroDay events in Hilo and Kona for about 10 years.

“I think that there is a need for connection between scientists, kids, families and the community in general,” Kaichi said. “A lot of times, there seems to be a misconception that science doesn’t apply to everyone, but people working in science are like anybody else living in the community. We just like to share our love, especially astronomy.”

During AstroDay in Hilo last year, representatives from Subaru Telescope brought a television that portrayed different information an astronomer could get from the telescope on Maunakea. The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo brought a static electricity sphere for fun experiments. Hilo High Robotics brought robots for keiki to learn and use. And, the NASA Solar System Ambassadors brought maps, photographs and other tangible information from the Artemis mission.

A representative from Subaru Telescope shows keiki what they can see through a telescope during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADParticipants from Maunakea Observatories coming to Konaʻs event this year include the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy, Subaru Telescope, W.M. Keck Observatory, Gemini Observatory, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the Sublimeter Array project from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Thirty-Meter Telescope International Observatory and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, which is operated by East Asian Observatory.

As an addition to the annual AstroDay event, the Institute for Astronomy will be bringing a solar telescope for the first time for anyone interested in safely viewing the surface of the sun.

Participating Maui observatories include Las Cumbres Observatory and the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy Maui, which both operate on Haleakalā. 

A keiki looks at 3D images at the NASA Space Ambassadors booth during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

Other Hawaiʻi Island institutions and programs participating include the Maunakea Visitor Information Station, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Astrophysics Club, Project PANOPTES, Onizuka Space Science Program,  NASA Solar System Ambassadors, National Weather Service, International Lunar Observatory Association, Thelma Parker Memorial and School Library, Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum and PISCES.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADAlthough they were late registering, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will be joining for the first time in a few years and the University of Hawaiʻi College of Engineering will also be represented as they share more information about the “Space Sciences Initiative.”

The Space Sciences Initiative is a collaboration between the College of Engineering, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy and is the first step in establishing a space engineering and instrument development center for students in Hilo.

Construction of the high-tech center is still years away and tentatively scheduled to be completed by 2030, which is dependent on securing funding for the construction phase. However, the academic programming started this semester and will be offered as the center is developed.

“Prior to this initiative there was no direct avenue for local kids on the Big Island to major in engineering,” Kaichi said. “The College of Engineering will be at AstroDay to talk about new program, which will raise whole new generation of homegrown engineers who will, hopefully, stay and work here on their home island.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADIn a 2019 report on astronomy in Hawaiʻi, the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization found that the industry supported the employment of 1,313 residents and that there are approximately 500 jobs at observatories on Maunakea and Haleakalā that are held by engineers and technicians who specialize in optics, software, data science, materials, mechanics, systems and cryogenics.

Keiki learn how to operate robots from the Hilo High robotics team during AstroDay at Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo on May 6, 2023. (Kelsey Walling)

“There is a great need for engineers in the science community on Hawaiʻi Island and a big desire to hire more local engineers for specialized positions,” Kaichi said. “The initiative hopes to make an engineering career as easy and accessible to local students as possible.

“I think there is an engineer in all of us, all it takes is lighting the spark and growing the flame,” she continued.

AstroDay is free and will be outside the Kona Commons from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Free giveaways will be available while supplies last and there will be two drawings at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for four special grand prizes––two beginning-level telescopes and two NASA-themed skateboards.