Upcoming events

Space-based infrastructure is crucial to modern societies, supporting navigation, communication, weather forecasting, and military functions. As reliance on space grows, so does the potential for strategic control over these technologies, turning space into a new domain for power projection and competition. Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in space programs, driving economic growth and technological innovation in the Middle East. However, this growing investment creates competition for limited resources and raises security concerns. At the same time, space offers opportunities for international cooperation, fostering regional stability and technological progress. This summer school will explore the evolving dynamics of space as both a competitive and collaborative arena, with a focus on the Middle East and global implications. Participation by invitation only.

Global navigation systems such as GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou are not only used for navigating vehicles and aircraft. They are also essential for precise time stamps in financial systems, energy and communication networks, and security-related applications. Whoever controls these signals controls entire social and economic structures.

From the negotiations on the nuclear agreement with Iran to the U.S.-Israeli wars against Iran in 2025/2026 Lecture by former Ambassador Dr. Hans-Dieter Lucas (former Political Director at the Federal Foreign Office and CASSIS Senior Fellow). Relations between Iran, the U.S., and Israel exemplify the tensions in modern diplomacy between negotiation, deterrence, and military escalation. While the nuclear agreement was long regarded as the central approach to curbing Iran’s nuclear program, developments in 2025/2026 reveal the fragility of diplomatic processes: Failed negotiations led to direct military confrontations between the involved parties.

The increasing availability of commercial satellite imagery has created new opportunities for civil society actors to document human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law. At the same time, the practice of satellite imagery analysis in NGOs reveals significant uncertainties in the interpretation of data, as well as dependencies on political and commercial conditions. Based on empirical research, this event examines the working reality of analysts and highlights the methodological, political, and practical limitations of using geodata in a human rights context.

Space is not only a place of strategic infrastructure – it is also a unique place where we can learn many things that will help us here on Earth. Exploring our solar system – for example, the Moon, Mars, or Jupiter's moons – provides us with valuable insights into the formation of planets, climate processes, and the conditions under which life can arise.

Is it still weather or already climate? Weather and climate change are global phenomena that we cannot measure without space travel. Satellite-based Earth observation provides indispensable data for climate models, environmental monitoring, weather forecasts, and disaster control. Europe is a leader in this field with programs such as Copernicus, Sentinel, and EUMETSAT—and the pressure to act is growing.

The Moon is once again moving to the center of international spaceflight ambitions – as a scientific testbed, a potential source of raw materials, and a testing environment for future missions to Mars. Europe, too, does not seek merely to take part, but to actively shape this renewed lunar focus: through robotic precursor missions, complex infrastructure concepts, and, in the longer term, its own astronaut presence. This session examines the strategic, technological, and political dimensions of Europe’s lunar ambitions.

Humans in space are not only a symbol of technical mastery – they are also a fascinating subject of medical research. The extreme environment of space profoundly affects the human body: muscle loss, bone density reduction, cardiovascular changes, and altered immune function all challenge science and research. Europe’s medical space research responds with innovative concepts and technologies.

The fascination with space has always inspired human imagination – and it remains a powerful driver of curiosity, discovery, and technological progress. Spaceflight captivates – but it needs people: engineers and technicians, scientists and visionaries. Europe faces the challenge of attracting and retaining young talent in the space sector in the face of demographic change, global competition, and a growing shortage of skilled professionals.