Dr. Nikita S.W. Chiu
12th October 2018 5:00pm
Larkin Room, St. John's College
Reception immediately following
Jointly organised by:
The Changing Character of War Centre
OxPeace - Oxford Network of Peace Studies
The Centre for Technology and Global Affairs
At the peak of the Cold War, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project demonstrated successful docking of US and Soviet modules in orbit. The project illustrates that international co-operation could be possible even under the most testing political environment. As the Outer Space Treaty which calls for the peaceful exploration and use of outer space celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, the international community witnesses mounting pressure on space resources and competitions in outer space. Along with recent debates on the potential establishment of a "Space Force" and UK's exploration of an alternative satellite system to rival Galileo, can peace in space be sustained or would it be rendered a mere romantic concept?
Dr. Nikita Chiu is Research Fellow in Robotics and Outer Space Affairs at the Centre for Technology and Global Affairs at the University of Oxford. She is also a Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge.
Her current work examines the impact that emerging technologies have on International Relations and the international order, with a specific focus on space and quantum technologies, as well as highly autonomous systems.
Nikita completed her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Biersteker at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She had served as visiting scholar at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Trinity College Dublin, and the Prague Secretariat of the OSCE. While as a Ernst Mach scholar, she investigated multilevel governance endeavours in the areas of climate change, drug control, and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Prior to moving to the UK, she taught Chinese Foreign Policy and International Relations in Hong Kong and Estonia.
Besides her academic endeavours, Nikita has also undertaken training in bespoke men's tailoring and design. In her spare time, she enjoys constructing her own garments, drawing, and exploring the Irish indie music scene.
Nikita speaks Chinese, English, French, and has a passive knowledge of Italian and an elementary understanding of Russian.
