Space Security and a Space Policy Career in an NGO, with Jessica West The Space Policy Pioneers Podcast

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Space Policy Pioneers Podcast, host Andy Williams, Director of Science in Space, talks with Dr. Jessica West, a senior researcher at Project Ploughshares and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. They explore Jessica's distinguished career in the space policy field, from her initial role in international development to her current contributions to space security. Jessica shares insights on the challenges she faced starting out in a heavily military-dominated profession, the importance of community, and the breadth of opportunities in the space sector -- not just in engineering or scientific roles but in policy and advocacy as well. They cover the complexities and nuances of space governance within UN committees, the value of peace in outer space, and the role of think tanks in influencing policy decisions.

Bio: Jessica leads research to advance peace and security in outer space through a humanitarian focus on space for all and benefits to people and the planet. As part of this work, she interacts regularly with key United Nations bodies tasked with space security and space safety issues. Related research interests include approaches to peace and disarmament rooted in humanitarian protection and gender perspectives, as well as the impact of new technologies on space security such as cyber connectivity and artificial intelligence. Jessica holds a PhD in global governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs where her work focused on linkages between resilience, national security, and public health. She currently holds roles as a Research Fellow at the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement, and a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-west-9733b31a2/

Disclaimer: All guests are talking in their personal capacity and are not representing any official position of their former or current employing organization.

Links and Resources

Project Ploughshares: https://www.ploughshares.ca/ 

Space Security Index: https://spacesecurityindex.org/ 

PhD Programme in Global Governance: https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-academic-calendar/arts/global-governance/doctor-philosophy-phd-global-governance 

UN COPUOS: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/index.html 

ITU https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/Regulation-of-Satellite-Systems.aspx 

https://www.itu.int/hub/2021/11/managing-radio-frequency-spectrum-amid-a-new-space-race/ 

UN Disarmament and International Security (First Committee) https://www.un.org/en/ga/first/index.shtml 

Open Ended Working Group: https://meetings.unoda.org/open-ended-working-group-on-reducing-space-threats-2022

Summary Ploughshares Report from Jessica: https://www.ploughshares.ca/reports/the-open-ended-working-group-on-reducing-space-threats-final-recap  

Article in CIGIOnline by Jessica: https://www.cigionline.org/articles/until-now-humans-have-been-lucky-in-space-it-wont-last-forever/. 

Article by Jessica and another Space Policy Pioneer guest, Laura Delgado Lopez, https://www.cigionline.org/publications/clearing-the-fog-the-grey-zones-of-space-governance/ 

Opinion piece in SpaceWatch Global by Jessica: https://spacewatch.global/2023/12/spacewatchgl-opinion-crafting-new-solutions-to-avert-an-arms-race-in-outer-space/ 

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, UNIDIR: https://unidir.org/ 

Secure World Foundation, SWF https://swfound.org/ 

Laura Grego: https://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/laura-grego ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauragrego/ 

Teresa Hitchens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-hitchens-2b0883107/ 

Space Generation Advisory Council: https://spacegeneration.org/