Maruska Strah

Executive Director, World Space Week Association

Region:          Europe 

Field:              Communication; Law 

Profile:     Maruška Strah is passionate about space and space law ever since she read her first chapter on international space law. Her interest only deepened during her work at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, where she gained significant insight in the work of both, public and private sector involved with the space industry. Her main area of interest is Space Traffic Management.

Her enthusiasm and passion for space will lead her to bringing space closer to people, especially youth and women, working in space and STE(A)M. Maruška is pursuing a PhD in Legal Studies at the Law Faculty of the University of Vienna, where she is focusing her research on Space Traffic Management. Maruška gained practical experience working for the Permanent Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union Affairs and International Cooperation Service at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia. As a procurator of a medical institute, she has obtained unique experience combining practical approach to health in terms of both, user and provider, and combined them both with the experience she gained during her work with international organizations. In 2014, she founded a company Family Clinic d.o.o., determined to facilitate health services, focused on preventive measures and support of lifestyle changes. She is a trained Peer Mediator and has experience in the field of conflict management. She is an experienced journalist and wrote for the Vienna Review as the Politics Editor during her studies.

She earned bachelor’s degree in international relations and media communications from Webster University Vienna, where she also earned the title Master of Arts in International Relations. Her final work was titled “Comparison of Luxembourg, United States of America and People’s Republic of China Space Law Changes.”

Maruška is a member of the International Institute of Space Law, the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety and the European Center for Space Law. She is also a part of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space Traffic Management Working Group 1, where she is leading the efforts to socialize the outcomes of the working group, and the International Astronautical Federation Space Traffic Management Committee.