3rd Conference of the Chair of Transitions – IAS-UM6P

On Thursday, 15 May 2025, the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) hosted the third edition of the Chair of Transitions Conference Series, featuring a thought-provoking lecture by Dr. Youssef Moulane, Research Scientist at UM6P’s School of Applied and Engineering Physics.

The session, titled “Paradigm Shifts in Our Understanding of the Cosmos,” explored how groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy and space science continue to redefine our knowledge of the universe and our place within it.

From the Copernican Revolution, which displaced Earth from the center of the cosmos, to the discovery of exoplanets and extremophiles that challenge traditional notions of life, each scientific milestone has expanded the frontiers of human understanding and sparked new questions about life beyond Earth.

Dr. Moulane guided the audience through these transformative shifts, highlighting recent advances made possible by next-generation technologies such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and emerging fields like astrobiology and planetary science. These tools and disciplines are opening unprecedented windows into the origins of planets, the conditions for life, and the possibility of discovering habitable worlds beyond our solar system.

The conference took place in the Salle Laayoune at UM6P’s Benguerir campus and drew participants from diverse disciplines, reflecting the truly interdisciplinary nature of the topic.

This event is part of the Chair of Transitions’ ongoing mission to foster critical reflection on how scientific, social, and technological transitions shape the future of humanity.