Institute of Space and Telecommunications Law

With its international network of researchers and former students, IDEST regularly organizes European days within the European Union. These European days reunite universities and local French practitioners in the same town over two years in order to reinforce academic and professional cooperation by a combination of national legal experiences and the cultural approaches in law.

IDEST's first European days took place at Sibiu in Romania concerning Europe in the information society (2007) and the Regulation of the telecommunication market (2009). The second IDEST European days took place at Budapest, Hungary on Competition and the regulation of the telecommunication market (2010) and Competition in the network industries (2011).

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day was created by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the goal of increasing public awareness about the use of information technology in the economic and social domains, as ways to reduce the digital divide.

17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention[9] and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union, the reason for this date being chosen as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. In this framework, IDEST organizes every year legal conferences reuniting the most renowned specialists in telecommunication law with lawyers and other legal practitioners to confront often highly complex questions in relation to the development of electronic communications networks and services.

In 2010, the conference’s chosen theme was The New Regulatory Framework of Telecommunications after the 2009 Review in regards to the European Regulation’s transposition into French law. The 2011 conference was on High Speed Broadband for All.

Since its creation, IDEST has obtained several national research contracts, notably from the National Center for Space Studies (CNES) in the framework of the elaboration of a Bill on space operations, in which IDEST was strongly involved. IDEST equally signed a major contract with the Ile de France region to develop the mobility of students and researchers in the telecommunications law between the University of Paris-Sud and universities in the town of Budapest. In 2011, following the signing of two contracts, one for the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), the other for the National Center for Space Studies, IDEST is currently working on a fact-finding mission based on the law of frequencies. IDEST is also currently working on an assessment of spatial governance in Europe for the French strategic analysis center, linked to the French Prime Minister.

Following two research contracts with the European Space Agency (ESA) in the domain of planetary protection and space-based solar power stations, IDEST won two major projects for the European Union: The European Twinning Project UA/06/PCA/OT/05 Boosting Ukrainian Space Cooperation with the European Union, resulting in a series of meetings organized in Kiev between June 2008 and February 2010; and the Collaborative Project Consent (the 7th Framework Programme) relating to the protection of personal data in social networks. IDEST has also worked in close collaboration with the Romanian authorities in the transposition of the European law of telecommunications into Romanian national law.

Amongst its international research contracts, IDEST has carried out research for Lockheed Martin (USA) on the protection of spatial assets, and for the State of Singapore on space tourism.

IDEST has developed strategic partnerships with several universities in France and overseas: Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (Toulouse, France), Space Policy Institute (Washington, USA), the International Centre of Space Law (Kiev, Ukraine), Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Budapest, Hungary), University of Jaén (Jaén, Spain), Harbin Institute of Technology (Harbin, China) and University La Sapienza (Rome, Italy).

Since its creation, IDEST has formed solid relations in the space and telecommunication professional milieus.[10] The Institute was created under the impetus of the National Center for Space Studies and the European Space Agency, and its activities are supported by many prestigious operators, including Eutelsat, EADS, Marsh and Thales. In the domain of telecommunications, the French Regulator of the Electronic Communications and Postal Sectors (ARCEP) and the French Regulatory Authority for Frequencies (ANFr) also participated in defining the research activities of the Institute which today benefits from privileged links with the France Télécom Group. Finally, several law firms work in collaboration with IDEST, including Bird & Bird, Ernst & Young, Gide Loyrette Nouel, Iteanu & Associés, and YGMA.

The course encompasses Europe and the wider world through teaching which combines both national and transnational approaches to issues. Lessons are held in French and English by a multicultural team of lecturers (9 nationalities). Classes consist of 50% overseas students (since 2002, the Master has welcomed 264 students coming from 61 different nationalities) all of whom participate in a large number of international events.[5]

The course has been designed for future career prospects in mind, by linking law to other disciplines – the sciences, economics, management, and political sciences. The interdisciplinary character of the Master’s teaching staff and students facilitates the graduates’ integration within businesses and public institutions through their complete and in-depth understanding of the issues to be tackled and their real ability to communicate with all departments and parties concerned, and notably with the technical departments.

Every class has a sponsor who assists the students all year round. The class is named after the sponsor.

The French Agency for Academic Evaluation (AERES) has given the Master its best mark (A+), considering this program to be amongst the best in France in all disciplines.[11]