Halim Ashkar

Halim Ashkar was born in Lebanon in 1993. His interest in Astronomy started at the age of 7 when he discovered an old encyclopedia in his parent’s house and fell on the Astronomy section. He went to school in Lebanon until the age of 17. Due to the lack of Astrophysics degrees in his country, and his uncertainty of travel, he decided to start with his plan B in life. He did a BE in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Physics opening the door for a future in Physics and Astrophysics. He then traveled to Paris to pursue his passion for space sciences, his Plan A. He was awarded a Master’s in Astrophysics from the Paris Observatory and Paris Science et Lettres University. Three years later he was awarded a Ph. D degree in Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology from the Paris-Saclay University and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. In the same year, he was awarded French citizenship. Halim Ashkar is now a contractual researcher in Astrophysics at the prestigious École Polytechnique since 2021.

Aside from his primary research role and his hobby of DJing, Halim’s genuine enthusiasm lies in sharing his passion for space sciences. This inspired the creation of his first book: "Space 101 - Astronomy in Simple Words."