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Students

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr Arnold Agaba is a Ugandan-born lawyer and academic specialising in air and space law, with a focus on advancing the field in Africa. He holds a PhD and Master of Laws in Air and Space Law from ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ, a Master of Laws in US Legal System and International Law from the University of Cincinnati, a Bachelor of Laws from Uganda Christian University, and a Diploma in Legal Practice from Uganda’s Law Development Centre.

Dr Agaba lectures at ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ and several other universities on the African continent. He is a member of the Uganda Law Society and the East African Law Society, where he chairs the Air and Space Law Committee, and he serves as Chair of the Research Group on Air and Space Law in Africa. He is dedicated to legal education and capacity building, leading training and research programs for African professionals in aviation and space governance. His research explores how African states develop legal and institutional frameworks for the sustainable and responsible use of outer space. Dr Agaba focuses on the challenges and opportunities African countries face in space governance, including policy development, legal harmonisation, and integrating African perspectives into international air and space law.

He is a strong advocate for African participation in the global space sector and emphasises the importance of international cooperation, urging African countries to contribute to the development of international norms governing space activities. His work highlights the need for inclusive dialogue, capacity building, and sharing best practices to ensure Africa’s interests are represented in space governance.

If you wish to contact Arnold, you can email him at: arnold.agaba [at] mcgill.ca


DCL, Doctor of Civil Law in Air and Space Law

Haoyue (Luna) Deng

Haoyue (Luna) Deng is a Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) candidate at the Institute of Air and Space Law.

Her research examines the legal regulation of cross-border aircraft transactions. She is interested in the power structures and potential imbalances embedded within these regulatory frameworks. Adopting comparative, quantitative, and empirical approaches, Haoyue explores four interconnected areas of cross-border aircraft transactions: contracts, property rights, aviation safety regulations, and import and export controls. Her research project is supervised by Professor Vincent Correia.

Prior to joining ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ in 2024, Haoyue completed an Advanced LL.M. in Air and Space Law at Leiden University and an LL.M. in Private International Law at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). She received her Bachelor of Laws from CUPL in 2021.Ìý

Haoyue was a Research Fellow of the Aviation Working Group (AWG) project on the enforcement of interests under the Cape Town Convention in China, and worked as an intern at the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

If you wish to contact Luna, you can email her at:Ìýhaoyue.deng [at] mail.mcgill.ca

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Mirette Elgawahry

Mirette Elgawahry is a specialist in Public International Law and a Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) candidate at ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ's Institute of Air and Space Law, supervised by Professor Andrea Harrington. She is anÌýAssistant Lecturer in Public International Law at the Faculty of Law, Mansoura University, Egypt, where she completed her LL.B. (Excellent with Honour) and postgraduate diplomas in Public and International Law, ranking first in the International Law Diploma.Ìý

Building on this foundation, her doctoral research examines the legal and regulatory frameworks governing space activities in the Arab world, including the interaction between international law and Islamic legal traditions.Ìý

She held the Erin & John Collins Arsenault Fellowship in 2024–2025 and serves as a Research Assistant at the Institute, where she is a member of its Africa Research Group, contributing to regional and international space law initiatives across Africa and the Arab world.Ìý

Her research interests span public internationalÌýlaw,ÌýspecificallyÌýspace law, satellite communications, remote sensing, and African and Arab regional space frameworks. She works in Arabic and English.

If you wish to contact Mirette, you can email her at:Ìýmirette.elgawahry [at] mail.mcgill.ca

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Martina Elia Vitoloni

Martina Elia Vitoloni is a Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) Candidate at the Institute of Air and Space Law (IASL), ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ, supervised by Prof. Andrea Harrington. A licensed Argentine attorney, she holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Argentina) and a Master's degree from the IASL.


Her doctoral research addresses lunar governance, with a focus on damage liability in the context of lunar activities. Specifically, she examines the legal gaps in the Liability Convention as applied to lunar damage scenarios, and explores how recourse to reparations under general international law may serve to ensure adequate compensation for victims. Employing conceptual analysis, her work is deeply grounded in public international law theory, particularly the law of State responsibility and its application to space law.


Beyond her doctoral work, Martina is Co-Editor of the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ-led project on the Multilingual Interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty, and chairs the Research Group on Latin American Air and Space Law. She is also a member of the SGAC Working Group on Lunar Governance and of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL). At the IASL, she serves as a Research Assistant and Grants Specialist.

If you wish to contact Martina, you can email her at: martina.eliavitoloni [at] mail.mcgill.ca

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Judith S. Jahnke

Judith S. Jahnke is a Swedish doctoral candidate at the Institute of Air and Space Law and has served as Editor of the Annals of Air and Space Law since 2025. Her research sits at the intersection of private international law and space law, with a dissertation supervised by Professor Andrea Harrington examining the emerging regulatory landscape governing cargo operations in outer space. She also contributes to broader scholarship on the regulation of private actors in both air and space domains.

Beyond her core research, Judith is actively engaged in planetary defence, serving as the point of contact on the local organising committee for the 2027 Planetary Defence Conference. Her work further extends to regulatingÌýthe aerospace industry in the Arctic, reflecting her interest in governance challenges in extreme and strategically significant environments.

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If you wish to contact Judith, you can email her at: judith.jahnke [at] mail.mcgill.caÌý

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Hao Zhou

​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹Hao Zhou is a DCL candidate in air & space law who joined the IASL in 2025 from Shanghai, China. He conducts research in both air law and space law, with special interest in air transport regulation, air​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹Ìýcarrier liability, and the law of unmanned aircraft systems. He is currently conducting his own research project on the rule-making functionalities of ICAO here at ³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ.Ìý

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If you wish to contact Hao, you can email him at:Ìýhao.zhou5 [at] mail.mcgill.ca

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