Developing future leaders in the space community is the mission of the International Space University. Taking a strong interdisciplinary approach to space studies, the university attracts students from many countries and backgrounds.
When one mentions work in the space sector most of us think of engineers and technicians, assumptions born in the television images of space shuttles, satellites and rocket science. But the space industry of the 21st century needs more than engineers. The complexity, internationalisation and commercialisation of space activities demand business leaders, lawyers and others who are well versed in the specialised knowledge and requirements of the sector.
Established in Strasbourg in 1994, the International Space University (ISU) trains graduates in many space-related fields, including policy-making, technology, space law and medicine, all needed by today’s space practitioners. Offering two masters programmes, The Master of Space Studies and the Master of Space Management, as well as a summer school, the ISU uses a wide variety of practicing space professionals as guest lecturers, drawn from government organisations and the private sector.
A sophisticated approach to space
“This diverse expertise is part of our key interdisciplinary approach,” emphasises Karl Doetsch, the president of ISU. “The space sector’s activity is international, multidisciplinary and multicultural and we reflect this both in our training and our students. Every year, around 70 guest lecturers, from diverse backgrounds and often with different views, contribute to our Master’s programme. The students are equally varied, including many scientists and engineers, but also lawyers, business school and humanities graduates; as a group, they mirror the mix we see in space agencies and industry today.”
ISU also organises a yearly international symposium on space-related themes with eminent speakers from the space industry. The 2003 event, entitled ‘Satellite navigation systems: policy, commercial and technical interaction’, featured speakers from The European Commission, ESA and NASA, among others. The presentations dealt mainly with the European GALILEO satellite navigation system and considered issues of interoperability with the American GPS network as well as future services.
Space alumni
Students come from many countries including the developing world, giving the ISU a multicultural aspect that reflects the international nature of the space sector. Karl Doetsch explains what attracts them to ISU: “Of course the ‘final frontier’, exploration aspect is an important element – but space also provides an excellent platform for earth observation, global communications and navigation systems. Issues related to food supply, access to clean water, climate change and security can all be monitored from space, and so our students see space as an effective tool for achieving a sustainable world – they want to contribute to this effort.”
More than 2000 students have passed through the ISU’s doors and most go on to jobs in space-related fields, working for groups such as ESA and the European Institutions. And they form a very active alumni network, says Doetsch, “Space professionals form a world-wide community, an international network of people sharing visions that transcend national boundaries. Our graduates, whether in space agencies or satellite companies or other positions worldwide, continue to share ideas and activities through the ISU alumni network.”
