Meet our Ambassadors
The Responsible by Design Ambassadors are leading experts in international law, ethics, safety engineering and international relations, united by a shared commitment to advancing the responsible design, development and governance of new military technologies.
Jessica Dorsey
Jessica Dorsey is an Assistant Professor of International Law and Director of the Realities of Algorithmic Warfare Research Platform at Utrecht University. She is also an Expert Member of the Global Commission of Responsible AI in the Military Domain (GC REAIM). Her current research focuses on the legitimacy of military targeting operations in light of increasing autonomy in warfare, with a specific focus on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Jessica is also a renowned legal scholar and practitioner on issues related to the use of force, especially in the context of drone warfare, having worked in the field for more than 15 years. She is an executive board member of Airwars and the Managing Editor of the international law weblog Opinio Juris.
Assistant Professor, Utrecht University
Zena Assaad
Dr Assaad's expertise in the regulation and assurance of autonomous and AI systems in safety critical domains is internationally recognised. She is a senior lecturer in the School of Engineering at the Australian National University and has held fellowships with the Australian Army Research Centre and Trusted Autonomous Systems.
Dr Assaad’s research explores the safety of human-machine teaming and the regulation and assurance of autonomous and AI systems with a focus on military applications. She is a member of the expert advisory group for the GC REAIM - Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain and is the host of the Responsible Bytes Podcast. Her expertise is invaluable in highlighting systems safety engineering practices that compliment legal requirements.
Associate Professor, Australian National University
Lecturer, University of New South WalesNeil Renic
Dr Neil Renic is a lecturer in military ethics at the University of New South Wales, a fellow at the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and member of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC). He is also the Associate Director of the Military Ethics Research Lab and Innovation Network (MERLIN). Renic specializes in the changing character of war, the ethics of killing, and emerging military technologies. He is the author of “Asymmetric Killing: Risk Avoidance, Just War, and the Warrior Ethos” (Oxford University Press 2020).
Professor, University of Southern Denmark
Ingvild Bode
Ingvild Bode is a Professor of International Politics at the University of Southern Denmark. She is also Director of the Center for War Studies at SDU. She is also an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a Fellow of the Security and Technology Programme at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
Professor Bode’s research examines how applications of AI in the military domain change international norms, especially on the use-of-force. She leads large-scale research projects in this space, including the European Research Council funded AutoNorms project and the Independent Research Council Denmark-funded HuMach project.
Her work has been published in various international journals such as European Journal of International Relations, Ethics and Information Technology, Review of International Studies, International Studies Review. Ingvild’s most recent book entitled Autonomous Weapons and
International Norms (co-authored with Hendrik Huelss) was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in 2022.
Professor Bode serves as an expert member of the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain. She was also Co-Chair of the IEEE SA Industry Connections Research Group on Issues of AI and Autonomy in Defense Systems (2023-2024).
RBD Student Ambassadors
The Responsible by Design Student Ambassador Scheme is designed to promote awareness of the need to for responsible design, development and use of military AI, particularly among the next generation of legal advisors, engineers, computer scientists, ethics and innovators.
As AI, autonomy, robotics, and emerging military technologies become increasingly integrated into national defence strategies, students and early-career researchers will play a vital role in shaping these systems. However, general knowledge of the legal and ethical frameworks governing the development and use of such technologies remains limited, especially the obligations under Article 36.
This Student Ambassador Scheme will help normalise these conversations by empowering students to become informed advocates for responsible and lawful innovation in military technology.
How do the Student Ambassadors contribute to the international debate?
The Student Ambassador scheme is student led. They contribute to the international debate by:
Representing the Responsible by Design initiative on their campus or institution
Promoting awareness of IHL and legal review obligations through events, workshops, and campaigns
Collaborate with RBD Academic ambassadors to share ideas, content, and best practices
Participate in virtual training and networking sessions with experts in law, ethics, and technology
Contribute to RBDI blog posts, LBD Live podcast interviews, or student-led outreach materials
Serve for a term of one academic year, with opportunities for renewal.
What are the benefits of becoming a Student Ambassador?
Student Ambassadors benefit in a number of ways including:
Participating in the increasingly urgent debate around the responsible use of AI in the military domain.
Recognition as a Responsible by Design Student Ambassador.
Access to expert mentoring and interdisciplinary training through the RBD Academic Ambassadors and RBD Programs.
Certificate of participation and LinkedIn endorsement.
Opportunity to contribute to real-world policy and education initiatives.
Meet Our Student Ambassador Team
Flóra Meréz - Regional Coordinator Europe (Leiden University)
Roger Lo -Regional Coordinator Asia-Pacific (National Chengchi University)
Michael Loftus - Regional Coordinator US
(Johns Hopkins SAIS,)
Adeela Ahmed - Regional Coordinator South Asia (University of Lahore)
Natali Gbele (Ludwig Maximilians University)
Miguel Albán (Regional Coordinator Latin America)
Hekmat Hasan (University of West London)