Conference Reports

The 2018 UK PONI Papers

Edited by Cristina Varriale

The 2018 UK PONI Papers examine contemporary civil and military nuclear issues and are written by emerging experts from academia, government and industry who presented at the 2018 UK Project on Nuclear Issues (UK PONI) Annual Conference.

Gender and Violent Extremism

Martine Zeuthen and Gayatri Sahgal

In recent years, Kenya has seen an increasing interest in understanding the participation of women in violent extremist activity. This report summarises the proceedings of a research seminar jointly hosted by RUSI and the French Institute for Research in Africa that investigated women's involvement with violent extremist organisations and the gendered impact of violent extremism.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers: 16th Annual Conference

Ewan Lawson

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 16th Annual Conference was jointly organised by the United Nations Association – UK, the United Nations Association – Westminster, and RUSI. This report outlines the proceedings of the conference, where sessions focused on missions where there is no peace to keep, future peacekeeping, and challenges of leadership in today’s complex missions.

RUSI Missile Defence Conference 2018

Peter Roberts and Sidharth Kaushal

A report on the eighteenth annual RUSI Missile Defence Conference held on 30 May 2018, marking a significant contribution to the evolution of policy while advancing discussion of missile defence issues between senior policymakers and practitioners.

The First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference 2018: Maritime Strategy in the Twenty-First Century

Peter Roberts and Sidharth Kaushal

A report on the proceedings of The First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference 2018, hosted by RUSI. The conference addressed the potential for human-machine combat teaming, implications for force design, disinvestment strategies and people from the year 2035.

Ensuring the Protection of Civilians in Modern Conflict

Amanda Brydon, Denisa Delić and Aniseh Tabrizi

Report on a private roundtable discussion with experts that was hosted in September 2017, to analyse the current landscape of civilian protection in modern armed conflict, and to discuss the role that the UK government could play in addressing them.

Defining Dialogue: How to Manage Russia–UK Security Relations – Part 2

Malcolm Chalmers, Andrey Kortunov, Sarah Lain and Maria Smekalova

Despite tensions and mistrust between the UK and Russia, there are still ways to manage security relations between the two countries. Policymakers on both sides should take note.

Air Forces as Weapons Systems

Justin Bronk

Report on the one-day RUSI conference that focused on exploring whether air forces can, or indeed should, seek to fight like a single weapons system. Delegates heard from the US Air Force and Royal Air Force, alongside representatives from multiple air forces in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Urban Warfare: Past, Present, Future

Report on a RUSI conference on urban warfare in conjunction with the Institution of Royal Engineers and the Royal Engineers Historical Society on the 75th Anniversary of the German capitulation at Stalingrad.

Iran and the West after the Nuclear Deal: High Hopes, Low Returns

Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi

Report on two days of meetings, co-hosted by RUSI and the British Council, of UK- and Iran-based scholars who discussed the state of Iran–West relations following the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).