Call for Participations: Glasgow, 22-28 June 2026

Summer School

A Terra Usque ad Astra: Heritage, Human Rights and Space Law

Humanity has always looked to the stars for answers—the heavens have guided us, inspired us, sometimes terrified us, but always called us to explore beyond the horizon. Now, Mars, the Moon, and the vast cosmos are transforming from distant wonders into a bold new frontier. Space beckons not just as a destination, but as a canvas for our legacy. With commercial trailblazers and global powers racing to claim their place among the heavens, a pressing question arises: How do we protect the cultural heritage of our species beyond Earth? This is not just a legal challenge—it is an ethical mission, one that will echo through the universe for centuries to come.

The convergence of cultural heritage law and space law is an uncharted realm, teeming with possibility and poised for explosive growth. As plans accelerate to return humans to the Moon, replace the International Space Station with lunar bases, and push further into the solar system, the need to protect our extraterrestrial heritage has never been more urgent—or more thrilling. This is your chance to step into the vanguard of a revolution that will shape the future of space exploration for generations.

The University of Strathclyde’s School of Law and the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi’s School of Law, in an unprecedented collaboration with For All Moonkind and the Heritage International Institute, proudly present a groundbreaking Summer School course: Heritage in Space.

From 22 to 28 June 2026, join us at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow for an immersive, mind-expanding journey into the interplay of:

• Heritage Law: Unravel the mysteries of preserving heritage with cutting-edge technology, protecting it amid conflict, exploring underwater treasures, combatting trafficking, and pioneering guidelines for humanity’s cultural legacy in outer space.
• Human Rights Law: Dive into the fascinating intersection of human rights, heritage protection, and the ethics of space exploration.
• Space Law: Decode the current legal landscape and champion the evolution of laws to safeguard the cultural wonders we will leave among the stars.

Over 6 days, you will engage in 3 two-hour seminars each day, led by some of the world’s most visionary experts (see our confirmed lineup below). Then, on the seventh day, roll up your sleeves for hands-on workshops—master satellite imaging, harness the power of space data, and even design the spacesuits of tomorrow. This is not just a course; it is a launchpad for your future.

The time to act is now. Space is not waiting—and neither should you. Here is how to secure your spot in this cosmic adventure:

1 Condition:

A passion for discovery and a desire to shape the future.

3 Steps:

• Having completed or being near completion of an undergraduate degree (does not need to be a law degree);
• Send us a 250-500 words on who you are and why would you like to join the Summer School by the 22^nd of May through the online form;
• Pay the £499 in person or £399 online Summer School early bird fee by the 15^th of March through the Strathclyde online shop.[1]

Don’t just witness the next era of exploration—help define it. Sign up today and become a pioneer at the frontier of heritage in space.

For any questions, please contact Mirosław M. Sadowski.

Confirmed List of Speakers[2] 

Babatunde E. Adebiyi

Babatunde E. Adebiyi, PhD, is Legal Adviser and Director of Legal Services at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) of Nigeria. He has represented Nigeria at UNESCO’s General Assembly and meetings of States Parties to its Cultural Heritage Conventions, and acts as Nigeria’s legal counsel in international forums concerning heritage return claims and negotiations. He is a resource person to ECOWAS and the African Union, and a member of the Benin Dialogue Group, Benin Initiative Switzerland/The Restitution Forum, Global Action for Restitution of African Artefacts, ICOMOS, and the ICOMOS Climate Change and Heritage Working Group in Nigeria. His publications include ‘Legal and Other Issues in Repatriating Nigeria’s Looted Artefacts’, ‘Towards the Perfect Law’, ‘Return or Recirculation?’, and ‘The Fault Is Not in Our Stars’. 

Tania Atilano

Tania Atilano is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Zurich. Her current research examines the practice of the laws of war during the French Intervention in Mexico (1862–1867). She earned her law degree in Mexico City, where she also worked as a public prosecutor. Her research interests include the history of the laws of war, international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and human rights. 

Gianluigi Mastandrea Bonaviri

Gianluigi Mastandrea Bonaviri is a diplomat at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently serving at Italy’s Permanent Representation to the United Nations in Geneva. He has previously held roles including Deputy Chief of the Human Rights and United Nations Office at the Ministry and First Secretary at the Italian Embassy in Cairo. He holds a PhD in International Law from La Sapienza University and has collaborated on research projects with the Universities of Cambridge and McGill. 

Antoinette Maget Dominicé

Antoinette Maget Dominicé is Full Professor of Law and Director of the Centre universitaire du droit de l’art at the University of Geneva, and Co-Holder of the UNESCO Chair in the International Law of the Protection of Cultural Heritage (since 2023). Previously, she was Junior Professor of Provenance Research and the Value of Cultural Property at LMU Munich (2018–2023) and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Lucerne (2013–2018). She serves on several advisory boards, including NFDI4Culture and the German–French Advisory Board on the Provenance of Cultural Property from Sub-Saharan Africa, and has held funding and advisory roles with the German Center for Lost Cultural Property and the Bavarian Provenance Research Network. 

Sabrina Ferrazzi

Sabrina Ferrazzi is Adjunct Professor of Comparative Legal Systems at the University of Verona, Department of Law. Her research focuses on cultural heritage law from both comparative and international perspectives. She has published widely and delivered lectures in cultural heritage law, comparative private law, private international law, and public international law. 

Andreas Giorgallis

Andreas Giorgallis is a Research Associate at the Cardiff School of Law and Politics. His PhD research examined the restitution of the Ethiopian Tabots looted during the 1868 Abyssinian Expedition and currently held by the British Museum. His recent work includes research on the legal protection of underwater cultural heritage, with a particular focus on the Republic of Cyprus. 

Nishant Gokhale

Nishant Gokhale is a Lecturer in Law at the University of the West of Scotland. Prior to academia, he worked as a judicial clerk at the Supreme Court of India, as a litigator, and as a researcher with an Adivasi library and museum in India. He holds law degrees from NUJS Kolkata and Harvard Law School, and is pursuing a PhD in Legal Studies at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the English East India Company and colonial legal systems, and he has received early career funding from the Carnegie Trust for research on colonial legal biography. 

Laura Guercio

Laura Guercio is Professor at Niccolò Cusano University in Rome, where she teaches International Relations and Intelligence Systems, and at the University of Perugia, where she teaches Sociology of Human Rights and International Cooperation. She is involved in several international bodies and committees, including the European Law Institute Council and the Human Rights Committee of the Rome Bar Association. Her consultancy work focuses on human rights–related projects. 

Douglas Jack

Douglas Jack is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Human Rights Law at the University of Strathclyde, teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research interests include constitutional and human rights law, with a particular focus on the ‘third way’ model of human rights protection in Scotland. He is also actively involved in a number of human rights charities. 

Andrzej Jakubowski

Andrzej Jakubowski is a lawyer and art historian at the Polish Academy of Sciences. He serves as Rapporteur for the International Law Association Committee on Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Armed Conflict, Vice-Chair of the ASIL Cultural Heritage and the Arts Interest Group, and as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Art in The Hague. He is also listed among the mediators and conciliators of the UNESCO Committee for the Return or Restitution of Cultural Property. 

Sharon Lemac-Vincere

Sharon Lemac-Vincere is an interdisciplinary academic at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde. Her work focuses on the integration of space and cyber technologies, combining expertise in entrepreneurship, space technology, cybersecurity, simulation, and law to support practice-based learning. 

Marlène M. Losier

Dr Marlène M. Losier is a legal expert in international law and Principal of Losier & González, PLLC, based in Washington, D.C. She advises public and private clients worldwide on international and national legal frameworks relating to culture and space policies, including maritime, terrestrial, and extra-terrestrial contexts, often arising from post-colonial state succession. Her expertise includes United Nations treaty systems, bilateral and multilateral agreements, sovereign immunity, jurisdiction beyond national boundaries, and issues of title and proprietary rights, including ethical considerations concerning communities of origin. 

Malcolm Macdonald

Malcolm Macdonald is Director of the Centre for Signal and Image Processing and the Applied Space Technology Laboratory at the University of Strathclyde. He holds numerous senior roles, including Visiting Professor at University College Dublin and Vice-Chair of the UK Space Agency’s Space Technology Advisory Committee, and is actively involved with several professional bodies and organizations in the space sector. 

Annalisa Riccardi

Annalisa Riccardi is a Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a member of the Aerospace Centre of Excellence. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral research with the European Space Agency before joining Strathclyde in 2016. Her research focuses on the use of Earth Observation data for social justice, particularly in strengthening accountability within legal and financial frameworks. 

Christa Roodt

Christa Roodt is an academic specializing in art law and the legal protection of cultural heritage at the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on restitution and recovery of cultural property, material heritage, and provenance research. Prior to joining Glasgow, she lectured at the University of Aberdeen and held senior academic and professional roles in South Africa. 

Nicholas P. Ross

Dr Nicholas P. Ross holds a PhD in Astrophysics and an LLM in Space Law. With over 20 years’ experience across academia, government, and industry in the global space sector, he has worked with institutions including the US Department of Energy and projects funded by NASA and the STFC Ernest Rutherford Senior Fellowship. His research spans space science, observational astrophysics, international space law, ethics, and space sustainability, with particular emphasis on space safety, planetary defence, and the long-term utilisation of the Solar System. 

Mirosław M. Sadowski

Mirosław M. Sadowski is a Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde and has held multiple part-time postdoctoral positions internationally, including in Portugal, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. His research lies at the intersection of law and memory, sociology of law, cultural heritage law, and the legal systems of Hong Kong and Macau, with additional interests in international law and political science. 

Tullio Scovazzi

Tullio Scovazzi is Professor Emeritus of International Law, having previously held professorships at the Universities of Parma, Genoa, Milan, and Milan-Bicocca. He has served as a legal expert in international negotiations and meetings concerning human rights, law of the sea, environmental law, and cultural property, and is a member of the Institut de Droit International. 

Alexander Simmonds

Dr Alexander Simmonds is a Lecturer in Space Law at the University of Dundee. His research addresses issues such as communications latency and time delay in deep space operations, space sustainability, and domestic space regulation. He is the author of the first book on UK space legislation and has presented widely at national and international conferences. 

Samuel White

Samuel White is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of the West of Scotland. He completed his PhD at the University of Dundee on human rights protection in the UK and previously worked on the Horizon 2020–funded RAPID project. His research interests include human rights, constitutional law, the interaction between domestic and international law, cultural heritage protection, and international criminal law. 

Janet Ulph

Janet Ulph is Emeritus Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Leicester. She is the author of ‘Commercial Fraud: Civil Liability, Human Rights and Money Laundering’ (OUP, 2006) and ‘The Illicit Trade in Cultural Property’ (Hart Publishing, 2012), and co-editor of the ‘Research Handbook on Art, Culture and Heritage’ (Edward Elgar, forthcoming 2026). Her research has been supported by awards from the Leverhulme Trust, AHRC, and Arts Council England.

Sophie Vigneron serves as Co-Director of Graduate Studies for taught programmes at the University of Kent. Her research interests lie in art and cultural heritage law, examining both the regulation and protection of various forms of heritage (underwater, intangible, objects, monuments) through national laws of France, England, and the USA, as well as international conventions. She also explores the intersection between law and heritage studies. 

Astrid Werkmeister

Astrid Werkmeister has a background in Atmospheric Science from Leibniz University Hannover and holds a PhD in Applied Marine Physics from the University of Miami. At the University of Strathclyde, she developed and teaches an MSc course in Satellite Applications, focusing on satellite data use and its implications for sustainable development.

Samuel White is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of the West of Scotland. He completed his PhD at the University of Dundee, focusing on human rights protection in the UK. Prior to UWS, he was involved in the Horizon 2020-funded RAPID project. His interests span human rights, constitutional law, the interaction between domestic and international law, cultural heritage protection, and international criminal law. 

The Organisers 

About the University of Strathclyde’s School of Law:

The University of Strathclyde, based in Glasgow, Scotland, was founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute and received its Royal Charter in 1964 – making it Glasgow’s second oldest university. Today, it is home to 30,000 students from 140 countries. The founding mission of Strathclyde is to be “a place of useful learning.”

Strathclyde Law School was established in 1964, the same year the University received its Royal Charter. When the Law School was first established, the intake was eight students. In 2025, it is the 6th highest ranked Law School in the UK with a community of 80 staff and 1,500 students studying a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

About the University of Mississippi School of Law’s Center for Air and Space Law :

The University of Mississippi is the premier U.S. platform for Air and Space Law and has been a world leader in air and space law education, research and public service since 1965.  We are the only ABA accredited law school to offer an LL.M. in Air and Space Law and six different classes focused on space law.  Our space curriculum is complemented by an equally impressive roster of aviation law classes — all taught by expert academics and practitioners. All our core courses are taught by attorneys who are active members of U.S. State bars and licensed to practice law in the United States.

As the trusted source of advice for national and global decision makers on air and space law matters, the Center for Air and Space Law enjoys a long tradition of excellence in global legal scholarship and practice in the fields of air law, drone law and space law. The Center is committed to nurturing the sustainable development and implementation of pioneering and practical legal solutions to present and future issues facing humanity on Earth, in the air and in space.

About For All Moonkind 

For All Moonkind is an entirely volunteer, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization. It is the world’s only organization entirely dedicated to the vital mission of protecting human cultural heritage in outer space.

Its team of more than 100 volunteer experts, spanning every inhabited continent, brings together leading minds in space law, heritage law, international policy, science, engineering, anthropology and archaeology. Together, they identify and analyse the complex legal, ethical and logistical challenges associated with safeguarding historic locations beyond sovereign bounds and beyond Earth as we advocate for their international recognition and protection. 

About the Heritage International Institute: 

The Heritage International Institute (HII) is dedicated to protecting and promoting tangible and intangible cultural and natural heritage worldwide, in all circumstances. Through innovative approaches and policy advocacy, HII works to ensure the effective protection of heritage, contributing to peace, international security, human rights, and sustainable development. HII also fosters cultural connections between nations, celebrates diversity and promotes knowledge-sharing to deepen global understanding of the world’s cultural richness.

Travelling to Glasgow 

When travelling by plane, you will most likely arrive at either Glasgow or Edinburgh airport. Both are well-connected with the city centre of Glasgow.

• From Glasgow airport (GLA) you may simply take the 500 bus leaving from in front of the domestic arrivals gate which stops at the George Square in front of the Queen Street Station, minutes away from the University of Strathclyde and most central hotels. It is worth buying a return ticket if you are also flying back from Glasgow as they are slightly cheaper. It is easiest to just buy the ticket from the driver, you can pay by card. Depending on the time of the day, the journey will take 15-35 minutes. On the way back, the bus stops on the other side of the square in a nearby St Vincent Street.
• From Edinburgh airport (EDI) you may take the CityLink 900 bus that takes you directly to the city centre of Glasgow, stopping at the Buchanan Bus Station, minutes away from the University of Strathclyde and most central hotels. The bus typically departs from the gate D at the Edinburgh airport in front of the main terminal. It is worth buying a return ticket if you are also flying back from Glasgow as they are slightly cheaper. It is easiest to just buy the ticket from the driver, you can pay by card; however, if you have an early morning flight, it might be best to buy the ticket online for a specific time, as these might be busier. The whole journey takes about 1h depending on the time of the day. On the way back, you take the bus also from the Buchanan Bus station.

When travelling by train, you will most likely arrive at Glasgow Queen Street or Glasgow Central. Both are centrally located and minutes away from the University of Strathclyde and most central hotels.

When travelling by bus, you will most likely arrive at Buchanan Bus Station, centrally located and minutes away from the University of Strathclyde and most central hotels.

When travelling by car, please note that the city centre of Glasgow is located in an ULEZ zone, thus you need to make sure that your car passes the standard. Please also be mindful that parking in the city centre may be challenging – and please remember that in the UK one drives on the left side of the road.

[1] The in person Summer School fee covers participation in the Summer School, lunches and coffee breaks, the welcome drinks and Summer School dinner. The accommodation is not included. The online fee covers only participation in the Summer School. Normal rate (16 March-17 May) is £499 for online and £599 for in-person participation. Late rate (18 May-13 June) is £599 for online and £699 for in-person participation.

[2] The organisers reserve their right to make changes to this list.