There is no final exam, but students are required to present their scientific results before a demanding audience: the researchers of the Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA). This presentation brings to a close a new collaboration between the University of Hong Kong and CEFCA, during which, for fifteen days, the facilities in Teruel effectively function as an extension of the Asian university. For the students, their stay in Teruel represents direct access to hands-on astronomical practice and exposure to a professional research environment.

One of Galáctica’s rooms, within this centre dedicated to astronomy outreach and practical training, serves as the classroom for the University of Hong Kong students. It is the base for their morning and afternoon sessions, where they learn how to plan an observation and work with their own datasets. The most distinctive part of the course, however, takes place under the skies of Arcos de las Salinas, with observations carried out from the control room.

At Galáctica, students also learn how the size of a telescope’s primary mirror influences astronomical research. This becomes particularly clear as they observe and collect data using the largest telescope available at the facility. A key feature of the programme is that students are able to obtain their own observational data and carry out the corresponding data reduction, processes that form the starting point for scientific research.

This collaboration with the University of Hong Kong marks the third visit to Teruel. Over the two-week period, the 15 students and three lecturers become temporary residents of Arcos de las Salinas. As the activity is linked to an elective course, participants come from different academic levels and age groups. Their training is complemented by a visit to the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre, with the final stage of the programme taking place at CEFCA’s headquarters in the city of Teruel.

Galáctica continues to strengthen its role in higher education, demonstrating its capacity as an educational space that integrates science, technology, engineering and hands-on practice. In recent months, it has hosted students from Peking University, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Zaragoza.