Nikola Schmidt Senior Researcher

Nikola Schmidt works as an senior researcher and is head of the Centre for Governance of Emerging Technologies. He studied Sociology at the Charles University Prague (BA), and International Relations and Security at the Metropolitan University Prague (MA), he received his PhD from Charles University in 2016 where he works as a researcher as well. He participated in a European Space Agency and NASA-funded planetary defence team project organized by the International Space University in 2015. The subject of his professional interests varies between International Relations theory Science and Technology Studies with focus on space, cyber and the general relation between technology, politics and global governance. He is currently leading a multidisciplinary project with participation from astronomers, space engineers, international lawyers, and political scientists. The objective is to devise a strategy for planetary defence and asteroid mining policy as key topics of a cosmopolitan responsible state. He edited or authored a number of recent works, including the Springer volume Planetary Defense: Global Collaboration for Defending Earth From Asteroids and Comets as well as articles in Acta Astronautica, Space Policy, New Space or Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Prior to re-entering academia, he founded and led two software development companies and worked on a nongovernmental organization-driven food facility project in Afghanistan.