International, interdisciplinary, and intercultural space education through ISU team projects

Abstract

The International Space University (ISU) was created to deliver graduate-level education, training and development for young professionals in the space and satellite sector, both at its central campus in Strasbourg, France and at locations around the world. In its two-month summer session programme (SSP) and one-year Master of Space Studies (MSS) as well as the Master of Space Management (MSM), ISU not only offers its students a unique curriculum covering all disciplines related to space programmes and enterprises (space science, space engineering, systems engineering, space policy and law, business and management, and space and society), but does so in an international, interdisciplinary and intercultural (3I) context. An essential component of both the MSS and SSP programmes are the team projects. In these, ISU students are given the opportunity to solve complex problems together in an active 3I environment. The paper, written in the 3I spirit by a lawyer and an engineer (graduates of SSP2003 and SSP2004 respectively), outlines ISU and its programmes, explains the importance of the 3I approach, describes the implementation of 3I through the team project process, illustrates the authors' own experience of ISU programmes and team projects and assesses the benefits accrued.