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Dr Berna Akcali Gur, PhD (KCL, UK), LLM (UPENN, USA), LLB (AUHF, Turkey)

Berna Akcali

Convenor of Outer Space Law

Email: berna.gur@qmul.ac.uk
Room Number: CCLS
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernaakcaligur/

Profile

Dr Akcali Gur is the module convenor for Outer Space Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies.

Her research focuses on public international law, world trade law, and EU Law implications of advancements in information and communication technologies. Her work examines how evolving ICT and space-based infrastructures transform global governance, data flows and jurisdictional authority across public international, trade and EU law. She has led major work on space‑based broadband connectivity, including Global Governance of Satellite Broadband, Satellite Internet: Trust and Data Governance, and Disaster Zones and Satellite Internet, serving as co‑principal investigator for all three projects and examining data governance frameworks, jurisdictional challenges and digital sovereignty issues related to mega‑satellite constellations.

Her earlier work identifies, analyzes, and critically evaluates legal and policy problems arising from the global flows of data and the cross-border provision of digital content. More recently she has also emphasized the geopolitical dimensions of global communications infrastructure. Her work has been published in leading academic journals.

Dr Akcali Gur also conducts research in collaboration with the Digital Governance Cluster of the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies, where she is an Associate Research Fellow. She additionally serves as Chair of the International Institute of Space Law’s Working Group on the Interplanetary Internet.

Previously, Dr Akcali Gur convened the WTO Law: Fundamental Principles module at CCLS. She held research positions at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies University of London. During her time as a lecturer at Kadir Has University Law School in Istanbul, she convened WTO Law, Internet Governance International and European Media Law, and Comparative Law modules. Before becoming an academic, Berna practiced law in Istanbul, New York, and London.

Dr Akcali Gur received her LLB from Ankara University Law School and an LLM degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She received her PhD in 2014 from King's College London, The Dickson Poon School of Law, with a thesis on Limits on state autonomy in regulating services trade: regional and international trade liberalization commitments and public morals. She is a qualified lawyer, admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association.

Postgraduate Teaching

Research

Dr Akcali Gur is currently engaged in various projects where she analyses international law implications of the advancements in terrestrial and space-based global information and communication infrastructures (for example, satellites and submarine cables). She is also working on new projects concerning international law and policy problems arising from the commercialization of outer space activites.

Funded research

  • Berna Akcali Gur and Joanna Kulesza, Internet Society Foundation research grant for “Renewal – Satellite Internet: Disaster Relief” project, June 2025
  • Berna Akcali Gur and Joanna Kulesza, Internet Society Foundation research grant for “Satellite Internet: Trust and Data Governance” project, October 2023.
  • Berna Akcali Gur and Joanna Kulesza received an Internet Society Foundation research grant for their "Global Governance of LEO Satellite Broadband" project in January 2022.

Works in progress

View Dr Akcali Gur's work in progress.

Publications

Recent publications include:

Articles:

Books:

  • Global Governance of Low Earth Orbit Satellites, J. Kulezsa and B. Akcali Gur (eds.) Lodz University Publishing, 2025.
  • Contemporary Developments in Space Law and Policy: A Case Study of Türkiye, B. Akçalı Gür, A. Akyol & M. Erdem Burger (eds.), 2026 (forthcoming).

Book Section:

Shorter Articles and Policy Papers:

Media:

For a comprehensive list please see: Berna Akcali Gur Publications

Public Engagement

Recent Lectures and Panel Presentations:

  • “Cislunar Data Infrastructures: An International Law and Governance Perspective” The Interdisciplinary Astrobiology and Planetary Exploration (APEX) seminars, at Birkbeck University, 7 November 2025.
  • “Converging Arenas: Space Diplomacy and Digital Policy” The School of Modern Diplomacy. Jointly organised by UNU-CRIS, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs of Flanders, Ghent University and the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG/VUB), 16 October 2025.
  • “The U.S. and the Evolution of International Space Law”, International Law Conference: The U.S. and International Law in Changing Times, organised by The Society for Legal Scholars and Brunel University at IALS and Brunel University London, 6 November 2025.
  • “Revisiting the Lotus Principle: Digital Sovereignty, Satellite Internet, and Transnational Data Flows in the 21st Century” Lotus at 100, organised by Lund University Faculty of Law, 6 October 2025.
  • IRIS2: Constructing Sovereignty in Outer Space as Global Commons”, The European Union in International Affairs Conference, Brussels School of Governance at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 22 May 2025.
  • Cybersovereignty and Space Sustainability", Mission Sustainable: Ensuring Earth-Space Human Activities are Sustainable by Default Workshop at Surrey Space Centre, 21 May 2025.
  • “Fact-Finding in Lunar Conflicts: Equitable Access to Cislunar Data", The Dispute Resolution in the Space Industry Conference at Durham University Space Research Centre (SPARC) and the Durham International Dispute Resolution Institute, 13 May 2025.
  • “The Role of International Law in Governing Low Earth Orbit Satellites: A European Perspective”, Sino-European Legal Workshop on International Law of Critical Internet Infrastructure, Lodz University, 13 December 2024.
  • “Cyber sovereignty and space sustainability: A case study of mega-constellations”, The 52nd Research Conference on Communications, Information and Internet Policy, Washington DC, 20 September 2024.
  • “Sovereignty Implications of Mega-Constellations in the Low Earth Orbit”, 2024 ESIL Annual Conference: Technological Change and International Law, Vilnius, 5 September 2024.
  • “UN Sustainable Development Goals, Satellite Broadband and WTO Law”, Farabi University, Kazakhstan, Roundtable on the Role of the WTO in Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals: International Legal Aspects 27 February 2024.
  • “The Quest for Internet Freedom via Satellite: the Lessons Ukraine Has Learned from Starlink and the Future of Satellite Internet” The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), Navigating the Evolving Internet Fragmentation: Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia Expert Workshop, 30 November 2023.
  • “Data Governance in Broadband Satellite Services”, Internet Governance Forum 2023 in Kyoto, Japan, on 12 October 2023.
  • “Broadband from Space! Can it close the Digital Divide?” Internet Governance Forum 2023 in Kyoto, Japan.
  • “Internet Fragmentation and its Environmental Impact: A Case Study of Satellite Broadband” (co-authored with Prof. Joanna Kulesza) GigaNet Annual Symposium on 8 October 2023 at IGF 2023 in Kyoto, Japan.
  • “ICANN's Role in Satellite Internet Governance” The EURALO Pre-ICANN78 Webinar on 22 September 2023.
  • “Cyber Resilience and the Geopolitics of Cybersecurity” The stakeholders roundtable at the Seventh European Multidisciplinary Conference on Global Internet Governance Actors, Regulations, Transactions and Strategies (GIG-ARTS 2023) on 15 May 2023.
  • "Lasers in Space! Can Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites Close the Digital Divide?" World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2023.
  • “Cyber Resilience and the Geopolitics of Cybersecurity” Stakeholders Roundtable at the Seventh European Multidisciplinary Conference on Global Internet Governance Actors, Regulations, Transactions and Strategies (GIG-ARTS 2023) on 15 May 2023.
  • “Global Governance of LEO Satellite Broadband”, RightsCon Costa Rica on 5 May 2023.
  • "Global Governance of LEO Satellite Broadband" at the Cybersecurity and International Law Course at European Security and Defence College on 25 January 2023.
  • "European and International Law Implications of Satellite Broadband Constellations in LEO," Internet Governance Forum, Global Governance of LEO Satellite Broadband Workshop, 30 November 2022.
  • "What We Owe Each Other: Equitable Access to Secure, Affordable, and Reliable LEO Broadband Satellite Services - A development perspective" (co-authored with Prof. Joanna Kulesza) GigaNet Annual Symposium 2022 at IGF 2022, 28 November 2022.
  • "The 5G Rollout Crisis and the Global Governance of Cybersecurity", 10th Annual Cambridge International Law Conference, 18-20 March 2021.
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