European Space Agency, Nov-24

• In November 2024, I organised for our class to visit the European Space Agency’s (ESA) main Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands. We had the opportunity to meet ESA scientists and engineers, and were shown around the exceptional the research facilities.
• During a workshop session with a Senior Data Systems Engineer from ESA, we explored the ‘Ethical Engineer’s Responsibility’, focusing on how human and organisational factors can lead to systemic failures in high-tech environments. This was brought to life through a case study on failures with the Boeing 737 MAX airliner which resulted in 346 commercial passenger and crew fatalities.
• We also had the opportunity to discuss how the commercialisation of space over the past decade has significantly changed the industry and ESA’s own work, and how defence priorities are balanced within the development of dual-purpose technologies.
• My main takeaway was that accountability and responsibility must be an integral part of technological and organisational design - not a late addition or afterthought. While these topics may have added complexity in highly-technical settings - including for example, AI development - history shows they are essential in the responsible design of technologies and what is at risk.

ESST Class of 2024/25 with a full replica of the ISS Columbus Laboratory at ESA ESTEC, Netherlands

Metochi Research Summer School, Jun-25

• In June 2025, I was invited to participate as a postgraduate research in an intensive summer school focused on training interdisciplinary research skills and digital methods, hosted by the University of Luxembourg at the Metochi Research Centre in Lesvos, Greece.
• The programme brought together more than 30 early-career researchers (postdocs and PhDs) from diverse academic backgrounds and 18 nationalities - all with research connections the University of Luxembourg, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Old Dominion University (Virginia, USA), and the University of Agder, Norway.
• We collaborated on a joint research project The Lesvos Time Machine, exploring the rich history of the island through the collection of multi-modal data - including oral testimonies, field recordings, and photography. We then applied digital methods to first analyse, and then present these findings in new, interactive formats.
• As well as working with emerging technology tools and digital mediums, the main learnings came from working across disciplines and cultures. It took effort to find common ground and language between diverse academic disciplines - from philosophy and history to computer science and technical development, and cultures. As a group, we learnt to navigate different methodological approaches and ‘ways of seeing’, and by the end of the programme were working together in new and hybrid ways.
• My main takeaways were about the value of bridge-building across disciplines, domains, and cultures, and how digital research methods can unlock new perspectives and audiences. These translational and technical skills feel particularly pertinent in today’s fast-changing technical environment, and I hope to apply them in my next professional role.
• At the end of the week, the attendees co-produced a blog to summarise the experience - Link

Preparing for presentations at the Metochi Study Centre, Lesvos

A break-out session with new colleagues from around the world and a hard-to-beat view!