Consular Conversations: Who Owns Outer Space? Diplomacy’s Final Frontier

About this event

Professors Michael Byers and Aaron Boley won the 2023 Donner Prize for their co-authored book “Who Owns Outer Space? International Law, Astrophysics, and the Sustainable Development of Space”. As China and the United States begin a new space race, and satellites play decisive roles in the Ukraine-Russia War, now is the perfect time to discuss the role of space in international relations today.

The SFU School for International Studies' Consular Conversations series is a monthly public forum featuring discussions with members of the Consular Corps in Vancouver. These conversations are moderated by Dr. Ricardo Arredondo, an IS Adjunct Professor and Consul General of Argentina. The goal is to bring together the Consular Corps of British Columbia for public lectures that encourage dialogue on issues that transcend borders, explore inspiring topics, and cultivate connections. The primary audience will be members of the Consular Corps of British Columbia and the Schools for International Studies and Public Policy. This is an exceptional opportunity for students in both SFU units.

Speaker Bio

Michael Byers holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Byers has been a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford University; Professor of Law at Duke University; Visiting Professor at the universities of Cape Town, Tel Aviv, Nord (Norway) and Novosibirsk (Russia); and Senior Global Fellow at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of International Law and the Arctic (Cambridge University Press, 2013) and the co-author of Who Owns Outer Space? (Cambridge University Press, 2023).