During the IAU Symposium No. 277 held in Ouagadougou from December 13 to 17, there will be a parallel workshop of African astronomers interested in the setting up of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) aimed at the development of Astronomy on the African continent.

The workshop wants to discuss all the issues related to the setting up of the AfAS and officially form a working group (representative of all the African regions) that will work toward launching the AfAS, if possible, in 2011. It is proposed to hold that workshop on the 15 & 16 of December (starting at 8h30 on the 15 and finishing at 18h30 on the 16) and the workshop's participants could join the Symposium's participants for the Education Session on the morning of the 16. So, people attending the workshop are expected to arrive at least on the night of the 14 and could leave on the 16 at night or the 17 (depending on flights). This means that 2 or 3 nights of accommodation should be reserved.

For those who would like to participate to the workshop please fill AfAS_workshop.pdf then send it by email to loc@iaus277.org or by FAX to +1–514–343–2071. In order to pay the costs of the workshop (meeting room, coffee breaks, etc), a registration fee of 60 000 FCFA is asked (20 000 FCFA more, if attending the Symposium banquet on the 16). All fees must be paid at the registration desk aupon arrival. Naturally, the participants to the scientific Symposium don't have to pay extra fees to attend the workshop since they already paid registration fees.

For African astronomers who would like to apply for an UNESCO/ISP grant to assist to the workshop, please fill the form www.iau.org/static/meetings/GrantSymposiumRIM.pdf, send it by email to loc@iaus277.org or by FAX to +1–514–343–2071 and mentioning you will be attending the AfAS workshop. There is a limited number (10) of $1000.00 grants available.