Miguel Nkegbe

Overview

Miguel’s research interests are at the intersection of commercial law and public international law. His PhD focuses on the emerging problem of space debris and its socioeconomic implications on access to most satellite services. Although public international law holds spacefaring nations liable for damage caused by objects launched into low-Earth orbit, those States cannot be punished for littering junk in the natural environment of space. Miguel’s research explores whether public-private partnerships (‘PPPs’) can be utilised as a solution by spacefaring nations to catalyse the procurement of more responsible and sustainable international satellite projects. 

Miguel was awarded with a full scholarship by the City Law School to complete his PhD.

Whilst interning at the Accra offices of Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah (‘BELA’) in 2016, Miguel prepared research for barristers acting in the case of AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited v. Ghana (2016) ICSID Case No ARB/16/15. This incentivised Miguel to undertake an LLM in International Commercial Law at the University of Exeter, whereby he successfully based his thesis (‘Is project finance a responsible and sustainable basis for strategically investing in Africa’s natural resources?’) on his work at BELA. Miguel’s research interests are therefore based on the regulation of major infrastructure projects by States exposed to political corruption. 

Miguel’s PhD was successfully supervised by Professor Nina Boeger and Dr Lijun Xhao.

Qualifications

• BPTC, The City Law School, United Kingdom, 2021
• LLM in Bar Professional Training, The City Law School, United Kingdom, 2021
• LLM International Commercial Law, University of Exeter, United Kingdom, 2017
• LLB (Hons) Law, City University London, United Kingdom, 2016

Title of thesis: Public-Private Partnerships: An Operational Solution to the Sustainable Governance of Low-Earth Orbit

2021 - September 2025

Summary of research

Inter alia, Miguel is undertaking a comparative analysis of hard and soft sources of United Nations, European Union and US space law. He will identify whether there is scope for collaboration between transatlantic States, pursuant to the development of customary international law in sustainable orbital governance.

Research students

1^stsupervisor

• Professor Nina Boeger, Professor of Law

2^ndsupervisor

• Dr Lijun Zhao, Reader in Law