Following the recent liquidation of the International Space University’s (ISU) campus in France, ESPI would like to extend its support to the students affected by these events.
Education is a cornerstone of ESPI’s mission: we believe that the future of the European space sector, and its capacity to grow and adapt, relies strongly on an education ecosystem able to nurture and retain talent and a skilled workforce. Over the years, ESPI has had the privilege of working alongside numerous ISU students and graduates, and deeply values the institute’s contribution to building a genuinely multidisciplinary space workforce.
The disruption caused by ISU’s closure represents a significant loss, not only for those students, but for the sector’s broader talent pipeline. ESPI too believes in the importance of a multidisciplinary education and is committed to helping preserve this.
ESPI recognises that this period of uncertainty may have a considerable impact on the academic and professional trajectories of those directly affected, namely current students or individuals who had already been accepted into the upcoming programme.
In this spirit, and as a modest gesture of solidarity, ESPI is offering a small number of places to affected students:
- Visiting Fellowship Programme: up to two fellows will be invited to join ESPI at its headquarters for a period of one to six months from September 2026, pursuing a research topic of their choosing alongside ESPI’s research team and gaining hands-on experience in space policy analysis while contributing to current institute projects.
- Space Policy Summer School: two places have also been set aside for affected students to attend ESPI’s flagship Space Policy Summer School, held this year in Florence in collaboration with the European University Institute (EUI) from 2 – 4 September 2026.
ESPI offers these opportunities as one small avenue for continued learning, rather than as a substitute for what ISU has offered its community.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to:
- Students currently enrolled in the ISU MSS/MSc 2026 programme at the time of the campus liquidation; or
- Students who had been formally accepted into the ISU SSP 2026/MSS/MSc 2027 programme prior to its discontinuation.
For the Visiting Fellowship Programme, applicants should have a demonstrated interest in space policy, and be able to articulate a research topic aligned with ESPI’s areas of work. As places are limited to two fellows, priority will be given to applicants whose proposed research most closely aligns with ESPI’s current projects and strategic priorities.
For the Space Policy Summer School, priority is given to those from outside the space industry with a STEM or policy-related background..
Application process
Interested candidates are invited to submit the following by midnight on 15 August to ESPI’s education team at education@espi.eu:
- A current curriculum vitae (CV)
- A cover letter outlining your motivation for applying, proposed research topic, and preferred fellowship duration (between one and six months).
Following review of the submitted materials, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with ESPI.
