Oxford Union Debate
Dr. Leroy Chiao has spoken at events around the world from keynotes for corporations to interviews on national television; while this may be odd for some it’s par for the course at OneOrbit. Yet, every now and then a request comes through that leaves us stunned. That’s the case for the Oxford Union. For many, on this side of the pond at least, the Oxford Union may not be something you’ve heard of but its history is awe-inspiring.
Started back in 1823 the halls of the Old Library, where the Oxford Union meets, has been graced with debaters and speakers such as presidents (Reagan, Carter and Clinton to name a few), British prime ministers, activists like the Dali Lama and Desmond Tutu and a host of academics, athletes and actors. In the science category the Union has welcomed Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein and the only other astronaut invited before this event was Buzz Aldrin.
The Oxford Union was on the cutting edge of the moonwalk 50 years ago when mankind took its first steps on the moon. Now, with the rise of commercial flight and the potential for new industries to arise, they believe that the future IS space and they invited Leroy to speak to this reality in their latest debate. While no exhaustive public list of speakers and debaters is available, we know in modern history Leroy is the first Chinese American to debate at the Union.
Leroy states, “It was an honor to be invited to be a part of the incredible history of the Oxford Union. Being able to debate the need for space exploration, and win that debate, was an incredible experience. My life experience as a space professional coupled with my understanding of the benefits and exciting discoveries from spaceflight helped our team educate and win over the minds at the Oxford Union.” With occurrences like these Leroy takes OneOrbit into new realms of academia, provides comprehensive education on space sciences and demonstrates the American spirit of diversity and culture.
As 2019 comes to a close we couldn’t think of a better way to be inspired to grow and change. Now, in the New Year, we here at OneOrbit are pushing ourselves to grow into new areas of education and provide programming that reaches our youngest and oldest generations. Stay tuned in, follow us on social media and join us in making the most of our OneOrbit.