Mazlan Othman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yang Berbahagia Professor Emerita Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr
Mazlan Othman
PSM SSNS PJN KMN
|
|
|---|---|
| مصلان عثمان | |
Mazlan in 2010
|
|
| Born | 11 December 1951 |
| Nationality | Malaysian |
| Alma mater | University of Otago |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
Mazlan binti Othman (Jawi: مصلان بنت عثمان; born on December 11, 1951) is a Malaysian astrophysicist. She is famous for helping Malaysia get involved in space exploration. She was Malaysia's very first astrophysicist.
Mazlan Othman helped create a special course in astrophysics at the national university. She also worked to teach people about astronomy and space. She led Angkasa, which is Malaysia's National Space Agency. From 2007 to 2014, she was the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mazlan Othman was born in Seremban, Malaysia. She went to Kolej Tunku Kurshiah, a well-known boarding school. She was very good at math, so she studied science.
Even though her family wanted her to become a doctor, she chose to study physics. She received a scholarship to attend the University of Otago in New Zealand. In 1975, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree with honors.
After that, she worked as a tutor at the National University of Malaysia. She then went back to the University of Otago. In 1981, she earned her Ph.D. in physics. She was the first woman to get a physics Ph.D. from that university since it started in 1869.
Career in Space Science
When Mazlan Othman returned to Malaysia, she became the country's first astrophysicist. She worked hard to create a new astrophysics program at the national university. She also helped people learn more about space and astronomy. She even did research for a while at the Kiso Observatory in Japan.
Leading Malaysia's Space Efforts
In 1990, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, asked her to lead the Planetarium Division. Her job was to oversee the building of Planetarium Negara, Malaysia's national planetarium in Kuala Lumpur.
After the planetarium opened in 1993, Mazlan became the director general of a new government group. This group was called the Space Science Studies Division. There, she started a program to develop small satellites. She became a full professor the next year.
Working with the United Nations
In November 1999, Kofi Annan, who was the Secretary-General of the United Nations, chose Mazlan to be the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
In July 2002, she returned to Malaysia at the request of Prime Minister Mahathir. She became the first director general of Angkasa, the Malaysian National Space Agency. Her work at Angkasa led to the launch of Malaysia's first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.
In 2007, Ban Ki-moon, another UN Secretary-General, asked Mazlan to be the UNOOSA director again. She left Angkasa and returned to the UN in December of that year. At UNOOSA, she worked on many important space topics. These included international teamwork in space and preventing space junk from causing problems. She also worked on using space technology for development and coordinating space law between countries. She even looked into the risks from asteroids near Earth.
Misunderstanding about Alien Contact
In 2010, some news reports said the United Nations might make Mazlan an ambassador for alien contact. These reports were based on her comments about the UN coordinating any international response to such contact. She was also scheduled to speak at a meeting about extraterrestrial life.
However, a UN spokesperson said these reports were "nonsense." Mazlan herself clarified that the reports were not true. She explained that her talk was about how topics like extraterrestrial affairs could be discussed at the UN. She used the example of how the UN started discussing near-Earth objects and space debris.
Later Career and Retirement
After retiring from the United Nations in 2013, Mazlan Othman continued to be involved in science and space. She served on various advisory groups and taught as a visiting professor. She also became a senior fellow at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
In September 2017, she was named the Director of the International Science Council (ISC) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. As of 2023, she is a non-executive member of HKATG, a satellite program mainly funded by China.
Honours and Awards
Mazlan Othman has received many awards for her important work.
- In 1997, the King of Malaysia, Tuanku Ja'afar, gave her the "Panglima Jasa Negara" award. This award gave her the special title "Datuk."
- Also in 1997, her old university, the University of Otago, gave her an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
- In 2009, the Institute of Physics gave her its President's Medal. This was for her work in teaching astronomy in Malaysia and her leadership in space science around the world.
- In 2013, she received the "Polarstern-Preis" (Polarstar Award) from the Austrian Space Forum. This award was for her dedication to making people excited about space.
Malaysia :
Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2021)
Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) – Datuk (1997)
Officer of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (KMN) (1994)
Negeri Sembilan :
Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SSNS) – Dato' Seri (2020)
Personal Life
Mazlan Othman has two children. Her son is an aerospace engineer, and her daughter was born in 1995. She also has two grandchildren. After retiring from the United Nations in 2013, she lives with her youngest daughter in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
See also
In Spanish: Mazlan Othman para niños
