10 Nov 2021    

Professor Matthew Scheafer pens Op-ed for leading Space News site, dissecting what is being called the 4th industrial revolution. While first industrial revolution involved machines powered by steam and water, the second began with the harnessing of electricity, the third was launched with advent of computers and supercomputing. The 4th encompasses the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications, 3D printing, Big Data analytics, autonomous robots, life science developments, and more. Today there are roughly 20 billion connected “things” or devices with expectations for more than 80 billion connected devices by 2025, Schaefer's piece reflects on modern changes in law and the space industry. 

Read the full Op Ed Here

Matthew Schaefer is the Veronica A. Haggart and Charles R. Work Professor of International Trade Law and Founding Co-Director of the Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law Program.  He has over two decades of law teaching experience and has taught courses in international law, international trade law, international business transactions, foreign relations law and policy, introduction to the American legal system, space law, and cyber law. In 2012, he led efforts to have the Law College adopt a required first-year course in international law for all J.D. students, and currently teaches a section of the course after co-teaching a combined course to all 1Ls with Professor Lepard for the seven years. Combined with his required upper-level course in international law for LL.M. students, most University of Nebraska students obtaining a J.D. or LL.M. degree are taught the basics of international law, and the intersection of international law with the US legal system, by Professor Schaefer.