Karlsruhe, 24 March 2026,
Following nomination by our President and Secretary General, the CESAER Board of Directors appointed Zita Martins (Vice-President for International Affairs at Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal) as the Co-Chair of CESAER's workgroup Dual-Use, Defence and Space with a mandate until 31 December 2027. This appointment follows the Board’s December 2025 decision to appoint Peter Ertl (Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and International Affairs at TU Wien) as the Chair of the workgroup, who will now Co-Chair the workgroup together with Zita.
The Board also appointed Lea Zwimpfer (Head of HR Operations, Vice Presidency of Personnel Development and Leadership at ETH Zürich, Switzerland) as the Co-Chair of our Task Force Talent, Careers and Staff Development with a mandate until 31 December 2027. This follows the Board’s December 2025 decision to appoint Paul Murray, Professor at the University of Strathclyde, as Chair of the task force, who will now Co-Chair the task force alongside Lea.
On behalf of the Board and the association, we would like to thank Zita and Lea for their willingness to Co-Chair the workgroup and task force, and to co-lead the implementation of the activities and deliverables of the respective bodies.
Zita Martins, Co-Chair of CESAER Workgroup Dual-Use, Defence and Space and Vice President for International Affairs at Instituto Superior Técnico, said:
“I’m excited to work with partners across the space ecosystem to strengthen collaboration in research, education, and innovation. By reinforcing connections between key partners such as the European Space Agency and leading universities of science and technology, CESAER can help push the boundaries of discovery, create meaningful benefits for society while inspiring the next generation of talent.”
Lea Zwimpfer, Co-Chair of CESAER Task Force Talent, Careers and Staff Development, and Head of HR Operations at ETH Zürich said:
“I look forward to contributing to strengthening leadership and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion as core elements of a strong research culture, with a focus on talent, careers and staff development.”
For more information, please contact the Secretariat.
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