Portugal Space Brings the International Space University to Portugal

For more than 30 years, the International Space University (ISU) has prepared space professionals for their jobs at public and private organisations connected to Space. Now is time to address the Portuguese space professionals.

With Portugal Space’s support, and in collaboration with Nova Business School of Business and Economics, ISU is landing in Lisbon today, August 31, until September 3, in what will be a meaningful moment to the development of the Portuguese Space community. The ESC it’s an abbreviated variant of the graduate-level programs that ISU offers at its main campus in Strasbourg, France, and also in Seattle (USA) and Canberra (Australia).

The Course is organised for two broad categories of professionals, those working in the space sector but who do not have a broad space background, namely those with expertise in finance, law, marketing, human resources, or those currently working outside the space sector but who have an interest in developing a better understanding of it, i.e. entrepreneurs, government employees and politicians, etc.

The ISU teaching staff will be joined by some Portuguese specialists, namely Magda Coco, partner at Vieira de Almeida, and specialist in Aeronautical Law, and Ricardo Conde, director of Portugal Space, who will give a lecture on Ground Segment. In addition, students will also learn, from James Mason, from the American company Planet, or Gary Martin, former NASA Ames Director of partnerships, but also Juan de Dalmau, President of International Space University, among others,.

For Chiara Manfletti, Portugal Space President, holding the ESC in Portugal is a great first for Portugal to strengthen the country across all players important to bring space forward. “A strong ecosystem can only be built on the foundation of knowledge. This course helps us build and strengthen this foundation.”

During the 3,5 days seminar, with 21 hours of formal classes and three to four of workshop/guided tour activities, students will be addressing different thematic. The Seminar that will address subjects from Sciences, Space Applications, Space Management and Business, as well as Space Policy, Economics and Law, will be delivered by ISU Faculty members, guest lecturers and will be taught in English.

By attending the Executive Space Course, participants will acquire knowledge of different Space disciplines and understand the linkages between these with a particular focus on global space business. They will also engage professionally with the space community while developing personal networks to advance career goals.

As an ISU alumni, Chiara Manfletti states that the International Space University was the first important step in her space career and emphasizes that the dedication to interdisciplinarity and multiculturalism which is in the DNA of ISU is key to the success of humanity at large.