The nature of space as a shared domain requires that the articulation of legal norms and rules as they apply to space activities must be based on broad consensus and involve stakeholders and expertise from across the globe. As a result, the project involved over 100 participants representing diverse geographical, gender and disciplinary backgrounds. Further, at every stage of the project, ample opportunities for the professional development and training of future leaders, rising scholars and young professionals were provided.
The Research Coordinator of the MILAMOS Project is present to initiate, supplement and ensure progress of the drafting process and coordinate the research efforts of the Core Experts.
Research Assistants are present to assist the rule-drafting by the MILAMOS Group of Experts.
Research Coordinator
Mr. Bayar Goswami
Bayar Goswami is a Doctoral student at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University (IASL). He finished his first law degree in the year 2015, with distinction and honors in Business Laws from Institute of Law, Nirma University, India. Thereafter, he pursued LL.M. in Air and Space Law from the IASL where he wrote a thesis titled “Theorizing Cosmic Environmental Law” dealing with cosmology and studying the anthropocene epoch vis-à-vis the International Environmental and Space law.
He is a recipient of the Erin J.C. Arsenault Fellowship awarded by McGill University for both his LL.M. and DCL and additionally was also awarded the Assad Kotaite Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization in 2017. He has worked as an Indian delegate to represent India’s legal position at the 39th Triennial Assembly Session of the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization held in October, 2016.
He has been acting as a Research Assistant at the IASL since 2015 and has contributed to key projects undertaken at the institute like the International Study on Global Space Governance and the Space Security Index, 2016 and 2017 (SSI).
He is passionate about triggering dialogues which challenge the developmental paradigm, particularly at the onset of modern space age. He has been a TEDx speaker and is keen on participating in interactive platforms to engage in conversations involving social sciences of the outer space.
Research Assistants
Present and past research assistants
- Mike Bilodeau (New Zealand)
- Andrea Buitrago-Carranza (Canada / Peru)
- Silvana Gomez (Columbia)
- Harshita Khera (India)
- SangHoon Lee (South Korea)
- Maria Manoli (Greece)
- Nishith Misra (India)
- Nivedita Raju (India)
- Stefan-Michael Wedenig (Austria)
Mike Bilodeau
Having completed his LLB with first class Honours at the University of Waikato, New Zealand (specializing in ‘international trade’ and ‘the laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law’) in 2016, Mike Bilodeau was shortly thereafter admitted to the roll of Barristers and Solicitors.
Following from this, he began his foray into the world of government policy and international law, first completing an internship with the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations and World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and then undertaking a role with the New Zealand Ministry of Education.
Having received the New Zealand Defence Freyberg Scholarship, Mike is now completing a thesis-based LL.M. at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University. His thesis will focus on the risk that cyber-attacks pose to outer space assets and, in addition to assisting with the MILAMOS project, he will be competing in the 2019 Manfred Lachs Space Moot Competition in Washington DC.
Andrea Buitrago-Carranza
Andrea Buitrago-Carranza is a LL.M. candidate, thesis option, at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University (IASL). She is a recipient of the Nicolas Mateesco Matte Graduate Fellowship in Air and Space Law, and her thesis explores the connections and potential clashes between the specialized regimes of International Air Law and International Human Rights Law, in the context of fragmentation of International Law.
Andrea is a lawyer (Barrister & Solicitor) member of the Law Society of Ontario since 2017. She completed her double degree in common law and civil law at McGill University in 2015 (BCL/LLB), where she explored her interest in academia and was co-founder of the McGill Journal of International Law and Legal Pluralism “Inter-Gentes.” Both as part of a research team and individually, she wrote and presented at conferences papers relating to different ways to enforce human rights. She was also selected by the McGill Centre for Human Rights & Legal Pluralism as the McGill 2016-2017 Clerk before the Inter-American of Human Rights, where among other tasks, she provided research and helped drafting the Advisory Opinion OC-24/17.
Shortly after the completion of her BCL/LLB at McGill, Andrea joined the legal offices of three Specialized Agencies of the United Nations as legal trainee: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Civil Aviation Organization of the United Nations (ICAO). During these placements, Andrea assisted their Legal Officers in advising their secretariats, technical units, regional and field offices on a wide range of legal and constitutional aspects, including drafting and reviewing international agreements, communications concerning the relations with the host governments and other international organizations, and the protection of the privileges and immunities of their staff and property.
Andrea also holds a Master in Public Administration (with concentration in Global Governance) from Queen’s University and an Honours in Political Science from Bishop’s University. She is fluent in English, French and Spanish.
Silvana Gomez
Silvana Gomez is an LL.M. candidate at the Institute of Air & Space Law, McGill University. She is a recipient of the Robert E. Morrow, Q.C, Fellowship awarded by McGill and was also awarded the Bala and Ram Jakhu Grant 2018 by the KEATCA fund.
Silvana holds a Specialization Diploma in Commercial Law (2016) and a Civil Law Degree (BCL) from Universidad de los Andes – Uniandes, Colombia (2014). Her paper “Terrestrial orbits: classes, technical and legal aspects”, was published in the Universidad de los Andes’ Law, Communications and New Technologies journal. Her thesis, “satellites and their orbits: the legal regime for the registration and placing geostationary satellites into orbit”, exposed the necessary procedures to place communication satellites in Geostationary Orbit and proposed uses of the orbits in general and possible solutions in case the States fail to reach an agreement at the coordination stage.
Before studying the LL.M at McGill, Silvana was an Associate Lawyer at the law firm Lopez Montealegre & Asociados Abogados, Colombia. Over three years she advised and represented clients in legal proceedings on matters concerning Competition Law, Habeas Data, Telecommunications, and Consumer Protection. Simultaneously, for two years, she worked as Executive Secretary of the Colombian association of insurance brokers (Acoas). Since 2014, she has been a member of the Study Group on Internet, Electronic Commerce, Telecommunications and IT (GECTI) of Universidad de los Andes.
Silvana’s research project analyzes the liability of private parties to space travelers from an international law perspective. Acting as a Research Assistant at the IASL since January 2019, she contributes in the MILAMOS project with the drafting of rules and the Glossary of Terms of Usage.
Harshita Khera
Harshita Khera is an LLM Candidate at the McGill Institute of Air and Space Law. Having completed her undergraduate honours degree in Arts and Law from GGSIPU University, India in the year 2018 she is a recipient of the Graduate Excellence Awards by the Faculty of Law, McGill University for her masters.
With a focus on Public International Law and internships ranging from the Supreme Court of India to Department of Industrial Policy and Planning under the Government of India, she has a wide range of experience in the legal field. She also worked as a commissioning editor at Lexis Nexis, India and the Associate Editor for the Journal of International Law and Conflict Studies.
Harshita’s research project at McGill focuses on the need for defining peaceful purposes under international space law and the conflict of States in their international obligations under the Space treaties and their national interests.
SangHoon Lee
SangHoon Lee is a Masters student at the Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University (IASL). He earned his LL.B. degree in the year 2018, double-majoring in Korean and Global Law from Soongsil University, Korea. He is a recipient of the Masao Sekiguchi Fellowships awarded by McGill University for his LL.M.
He has studied diverse subjects related to both public and private international law during his undergraduate. He also has an ample understanding of common law and international law system through past experiences of participating in Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court and the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition.
He has been acting as a Research Assistant at the IASL since 2019 and has contributed to several assisting works in the MILAMOS project including the Glossary of Terms of Usage.
Nivedita Raju
Nivedita Raju is an LL.M. candidate at the Institute of Air & Space Law, McGill University. She is a recipient of the Erin J.C. Arsenault Fellowship awarded by McGill. She is currently representing McGill at the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, 2019.
Nivedita was previously an Associate with Gagrats Advocates & Solicitors, a Tier-1 aviation law firm in Mumbai, India. Over three years, she effected numerous transactions on the sale and leaseback of aircraft for Jet Airways. She also worked on matters concerning intellectual property and real estate.
Parallel to practice, she actively pursued research interests in aviation, space and commercial law. Her publications include Pioneering for the Rights of the Differently Abled: Scope under the Montreal Convention in Kluwer Law International and “A Framework to Address Burgeoning Commercial Complexities in Space Mining” in the German Journal of Air & Space Law. She has also contributed to a chapter on the Law of Contracts in “The Economic Analysis of Law: An Indian Perspective.”
Nivedita’s LL.M. thesis examines the need for governance of global emissions in the space sector, given the inadequate provisions of the space treaties. Upon graduating, she aims to pursue space policy initiatives that support the sustainable use of outer space.