IE University drives education in Space Affairs: the new frontier in International Relations

Madrid, April 2026. IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University has presented the new specialization in Space Affairs within the Master in International Relations, which will begin next September, as well as the new Executive Program "The Space Sector Unlocked: From Global Trends to Effective Management," which will take place in October. The announcement was made during an event entitled "Governing the Final Frontier: Why Space Is the Next Strategic Arena in International Relations," opened by Enrico Letta, Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University.

The discussion featured ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti; Elena Grifoni Winters, former Chief of Staff to the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA); and Ezequiel Sánchez, Executive President of PLD Space. These programs consolidate the academic institution’s commitment to training in this industry, which began last year when IE University and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a strategic agreement to promote education, innovation, and talent development in the global space sector.

The Executive Program, as well as the new Space Affairs specialization within the Master in International Relations, are aimed at senior professionals who want to develop their careers at the intersection of geopolitics, regulation, and the growing space economy. "Space is the key domain that will shape international relations in the coming years," noted Dean Enrico Letta during his remarks. "It is essential for students to understand the technological, commercial, and security interests it represents for global powers. The new Space Affairs specialization within the Master in International Relations, developed in collaboration with the ESA, will train students in these strategic areas and in their broader implications for European technological autonomy," he explained.

The Space Affairs specialization in the Master in International Relations examines the role of space as a fundamental domain for global security, economic growth, and international cooperation in a context of rapid technological and geopolitical change. This specialization integrates technical understanding of space systems with training in leadership, business strategy, economics, public policy, regulation, and defense, providing students with analytical and strategic skills oriented toward career development in governments and public institutions, space agencies, industry, and startups.

During the event, participants highlighted the importance of European autonomy in the aerospace race and advocated for collaboration on equal terms within the sector. "Space will be one of the major issues on the table," emphasized Elena Grifoni. "There is no geopolitics or defense without space. Understanding what space represents is visionary. There will be no job in the field of international relations that is not connected to this domain."

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti also underscored the importance of European strategic autonomy. "It is important that we return to the Moon, but equally important—and possibly even more critical for Europe—is to refocus on developing autonomous access-to-space capabilities in terms of launchers, transportation, and vehicles," she said. "In Europe we need to develop our own capabilities so that we can define our own programs and cooperate on a more equal footing." According to Cristoforetti, this is key for the European defense sector. "You need to be able to defend yourself when security becomes an issue. The same applies in space: we depend on satellites for Earth observation, secure communications, and navigation."

Ezequiel Sánchez, Executive President of PLD Space, highlighted the importance of this type of program for the industry and stressed that Europe must strengthen the reliability and scalability of its aerospace industry. From a regulatory standpoint, he noted that "the European Union is moving faster on regulation than the United States, and this must be addressed not only from a political perspective, but also from a market perspective." He warned that "trying to bring order to something that is changing rapidly is risky," and added that European institutions are moving "in the direction of the market: the EU does not regulate solely to set rules, but also to create a more efficient market."