Nikita Chiu, China (Hong Kong)

Curriculum Vitae

Nikita Chiu is Ad Astra Distinguished Fellow in Robotic and Outer Space Governance at the Space Engineering Research Center. She is listed as one of the "20 under 35" Future Leaders to Watch in the space and satellite sector by SSPI in 2019. She was the first Research Fellow in Robotics at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, where she led the Robotics and Space Governance research streams. In this position she developed new approaches to engaging the diplomatic circle, governments, industry and academia to produce timely advice for both national and international actors. Prior to Oxford, Dr. Chiu read Technology Policy at St. Edmund's College, Cambridge, and was a Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. Nikita Chiu’s ongoing work focuses on investigating the peace and security implications brought by the commercialization of robotics, quantum and space technologies. Prior to her career in Technology Governance, she was awarded the Ernst Mach Grant to pursue research on city-networks and global governance in the domains of drug control, climate change and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Dr. Nikita Chiu taught International Relations and Chinese Foreign Policy in Hong Kong and Tallinn, and is a former lecturer on War, Peacekeeping, and Military Operations in the UK.

Reflection

The Ernst Mach Grant, named after the renowned Austrian physicist, supported my previous research on city-networks and global governance at Technische Universität Wien. As one of the world's most interconnected cities, Vienna is a central hub of international diplomacy and provides a stimulating environment for inter-disciplinary inquiry. The vibrant yet elegant city is home to a large international policy community. It enables scholars like me to obtain first-hand insights into the dynamic landscape of international governance in the areas of peace and security, climate change and drug control.