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Meet the astronomers. See where they work. Know what they know.


The Project:

The Cosmic Diary is not just about astronomy. It's more about what it is like to be an astronomer.

The Cosmic Diary aims to put a human face on astronomy: professional scientists will blog in text and images about their lives, families, friends, hobbies and interests, as well as their work, their latest research findings and the challenges that face them. The bloggers represent a vibrant cross-section of female and male working astronomers from around the world, coming from five different continents. Outside the observatories, labs and offices they are musicians, mothers, photographers, athletes, amateur astronomers. At work, they are managers, observers, graduate students, grant proposers, instrument builders and data analysts.

Throughout this project, all the bloggers will be asked to explain one particular aspect of their work to the public. In a true exercise of science communication, these scientists will use easy-to-understand language to translate the nuts and bolts of their scientific research into a popular science article. This will be their challenge.

Task Group:

Mariana Barrosa (Portugal, ESO ePOD)
Nuno Marques (Portugal, Web Developer)
Lee Pullen (UK, Freelance Science Communicator)
André Roquette (Portugal, ESO ePOD)

Jack Oughton (UK, Freelance Science Communicator)
Alice Enevoldsen (USA, Pacific Science Center)
Alberto Krone Martins (Brazil, Uni. S. Paulo / Uni. Bordeaux)
Kevin Govender (South Africa, S. A. A. O.)
Avivah Yamani (Indonesia, Rigel Kentaurus)
Henri Boffin (Belgium, ESO ePOD)

JAXA x Tax Office = ?

Training on e-Tax at JAXA Sagamihara Campus

Training on e-Tax at JAXA Sagamihara Campus

I am now trying to enhance the publicity of JAXA in the local community in Sagamihara City. To this end, we started collaboration with those organizations with a very strong network with the local citizens like Sagamihara City Office, community centers, and shopping streets. Sagamihara Tax Office is one of such organizations. As a part of the collaboration, we had training on the national tax electronic declaration / payment system (e-Tax) at our campus in the afternoon of November 18. A press release on this training was issued by Sagamihara Tax Office (I did not imagine that this kind of event has a news value), and a TV camera and “e-ta kun” (a mascot character of e-Tax) showed up in our office. The National Tax Agency had been doing this kind of promotion with popular talents, but such promotion became difficult due to severe budgetary constraints, and they asked me to pretend as a talent. Collaboration with an organization that appears to have little cross section with us will have larger field to be cultivated together.

地域におけるJAXAの知名度を上げるために、地域に太いパイプを持つ組織との連携を始めています。相模原市役所は言うまでもありませんが、公民館や商店会、そして相模原税務署もその一つです。今回はこの縁で、相模原税務署が行う国税電子申告・納税システム(e-Tax)の研修会が11月18日の午後にJAXA相模原キャンパスで行われました。e-Taxの研修会をJAXAで実施することにニュース価値があるとは私には思えなかったのですが、この講習に関して相模原税務署からプレスリリースがあり、講習に先立ってTBSのテレビカメラが入りました。会場にはマスコットキャラクターの「e-太くん」が登場し、受講者(講演者でなく!)である私へのインタビューもありました。訊けば、国税庁は例年は有名タレントなどを使ってプロモーションをしているのだそうですが、予算削減の影響でそれが限定的となり、JAXAの力を借りたいとのこと。ついにはなぜか私のところにインタビューが回ってきたようです。このように、税務署が私たちJAXAを利用しているように見えますが、実は私たちの地域における知名度を高めるのに一役買っています。活動地域以外にあまり接点がなさそうなこのコラボレーション、共通点があまりないということは、裏を返せばお互いに補う要素が大きいということ。今後この関係がどう発展するのか、自分でも楽しみです。
http://www.e-tax.nta.go.jp/
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