Overview
The Annual Conference is a hallmark of the UK Project on Nuclear Issues, having established itself as the premier UK forum for showcasing the expertise of a new generation working on nuclear issues.
By bringing together emerging and established experts from across the nuclear field, the conference promotes a diverse, informed dialogue on pressing nuclear topics. It provides attendees a chance to discuss and debate fresh perspectives by engaging with other nuclear specialists from academia, government, industry, and the military.
This year, the conference seeks to address the current state-of-play and possible future trends in the nuclear field through panel presentations from emerging experts on topics like:
- The nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament landscape
- The UK nuclear enterprise and the sustainability of nuclear skills
- Future nuclear technologies
- The motivations and implications of China’s nuclear modernisation
The conference also features high-profile keynote speakers and opportunities for attendees to attend a small careers fair and make new connections through a lunch and a drinks reception. We are delighted to announce that Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, the United States Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, and Samantha Job CMG MVO, Director for Defence and International Security, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, are confirmed Keynote speakers.
UK PONI is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, and we encourage attendance by women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities.
Agenda
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Registration
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Welcome Message
Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General, RUSI, and Interim Director, UK PONI
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Opening Keynote
Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, PhD, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, US Department of State
Chair: Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General, RUSI, and Interim Director, UK PONI
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Panel One: The Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament Landscape
Sara Bundtzen, Research and Policy Associate, Institute for Strategic Dialogue
'(Dis)Information Operations on social media: Implications for nuclear regimes and treaties'Lucy Millington, Graduate Physicist, Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE)
'Are nuclear breakout times an effective way of measuring a country’s proliferation risk?'Liv Muldal El Baz, Postgraduate Student, King’s College London
'Strategic stability and the role of space: Challenges and opportunities'Chair: Dr Ana Alecsandru, Research Fellow, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, RUSI and Programme Manager, UK PONI
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BREAK AND CAREERS FAIR
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Panel Two: The UK Nuclear Enterprise and the Sustainability of Nuclear Skills
Ben Goold, Safety Assessment Specialist, AWE
Lacey-Jo Marsland, Safety Assessment Specialist, AWE
'The role of nuclear power generation in UK energy resilience'Robbie Lyons, Consultant, PA Consulting
'Getting ready to learn: How to enable the UK nuclear enterprise to deliver progressive cost improvement'Chair: Dr Rob Whittleston, Director, International Engagement, Security & Non-Proliferation, National Nuclear Laboratory
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LUNCH AND CAREERS FAIR
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Lunch Keynote
Samantha Job CMG MVO, Director for Defence and International Security, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General, RUSI, and Interim Director, UK PONI
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Panel Three: Future Nuclear Technologies
Alex Langton, Graduate Engineer, AWE
Kate Taylor, Operations and Technical Support Assistant, NNL
'Nuclear waste: A burden from the past or a fuel for the future?'Joshua Mulholland, Scientist, UK Ministry of Defence
Rhiannon McGrady, Senior Business Analyst, MASS
'Unconventional uses for non-conventional weapons: a look into exo-planetary applications for the nuclear stockpile'Chair: Paul Jagger, Director, Maritime Mission Systems, Babcock International Group
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BREAK
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Panel Four: China's Nuclear Modernisation and Regional Implications
Zuzanna Gwadera, Research Assistant, King’s College London'
'A window of opportunity for arms control? Evolving Chinese approaches to crisis stability and nuclear escalation'Seungcheol Lee, Student, University of Edinburgh
'Understanding China’s nuclear modernization: Motivations and implications for the global non-proliferation regime'Jamie Withorne, Affiliate, Oslo Nuclear Project, University of Oslo
'Pixelated tigers? Assessing the relationship between OSINT, China, and regional nuclear deterrence'Chair: Dr Sidharth Kaushal, Research Fellow, Sea Power, Military Sciences, RUSI
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Closing Remarks
Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General, RUSI, and Interim Director, UK PONI
A drinks reception will follow the closing keynote for all attendees who wish to join.
How to attend
Registration for the conference is now closed. If you have queries regarding attending the conference, please email: rusievents@rusi.org
Sponsors
Gold Sponsors: Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE)
Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are Gold Sponsors of the UK PONI Annual Conference.
Gold Sponsors: Lockheed Martin UK
Lockheed Martin UK are Gold Sponsors of the UK PONI Annual Conference 2022.
Gold Sponsors: National Nuclear Laboratory
National Nuclear Laboratory are Gold Sponsors of the UK PONI Annual Conference 2022.
Silver Sponsors
Babcock, BAE Systems, MASS, Ministry of Defence, and Rolls-Royce are Silver Sponsors of the UK PONI Annual Conference 2022
