Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
In this paper, we present the NORT, a network of oriental robotic telescopes originally proposed in 1993 by Querci & Querci to study stellar variability. The NORT project covers all of northern Africa and Asia near the tropic of Cancer. The interest generated among a number of astronomers in countries from the Arab World and Asia offers a solid basis for the rebirth of astronomy and astrophysics and space sciences in developing countries. The number of national projects for telescopes in different countries makes the NORT a framework of choice to coordinate and stimulate these separate efforts by the creation of a NORT steering committee.