Call for presentations: SYP Conference, 15th March 2025
8th Annual SYP Conference: Call for presentations Theme: ‘Stepping back from the brink of nuclear war: fresh thinking on peace and disarmament’ Location: Central London, Venue TBC / Online via zoom Date: Saturday 15th March 2025 Get involved! SYP wants to give students and young professionals the opportunity to present their thoughts […]
Russia’s Updated Declaration concerning its Nuclear-Weapon-Use Doctrine
On 19 November President Putin signed an executive order approving “the fundamentals of Russia’s state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence.” This declaration is essentially an update of a document that issued in 2020. It sets out Russia’s nuclear-weapon-use doctrine. Among the most important updates is this sentence – “The Russian Federation reserves the […]
Webinar invitation: Prof Dan Plesch and Manuel Galileo on ‘Strategic Stability and Conventional Strikes’ 12 December, 17.30 (UK)
Webinar invitation With the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) set to expire on Feb 5 2026, strategic weapons issues loom over relations between the major powers. Against this context, our latest webinar will spread awareness of a new report ‘Masters of the Air: Strategic Stability and conventional strikes’. The report considers how U.S. precision weapons […]
British Pugwash Newsletter, November 2024
Items include: Dan Plesch / Manuel Galileo, Webinar Invitation, 12 December Video: Zhou Bo on ‘China’s Approach to Nuclear Disarmament’ Publication: ‘AI: Implications for Peace and Security, Articles from the SYP Conference 2024’ Recent articles and reports of interest Members Survey 2024 Pugwash Forum Mailing List Annual Membership Webinar invitation: Prof Dan Plesch […]
AI: Implications for Peace and Security, Articles from the SYP Conference 2024
Student / Young Pugwash (SYP) organises an annual conference on peace and disarmament. The subject of the 7th conference, held in January 2024 at King’s College London, was ‘Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Peace and Security’.Our aim was to encourage new thinking on the legal, political and technical questions associated with this topic, with a focus […]
Nuclear “Counterforce” Strategies and Nuclear Arms-Racing, an interview with Prof Nick Ritchie
On 1 August Dr Vipin Narang, an Acting Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Defence, speaking at the CSIS in Washington D.C., warned that “Absent a change in the nuclear trajectories of the PRC, Russia, and North Korea, we may reach a point where a change in the size or posture of our current […]
Video now online: ‘China’s Approach to Nuclear Disarmament’, with Zhou Bo, 08/10 @ 14.00
Watch this webinar from 8 October which explored China’s call for a P5 no-first-use agreement and related nuclear policies. The meeting was chaired by Peter Jenkins, Chairman of British Pugwash. Speaker: Zhou Bo will draw on a recent article in Foreign Affairs to spell out the nuclear risk reduction potential of a P5 no-first-use agreement […]
The Life and Work of Prof Joseph Rotblat: Selected Articles and Resources
You have probably seen the film Oppenheimer which tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and how he helped develop the first nuclear weapons during WW2. But maybe you haven’t heard of Joseph Rotblat, a Polish-born scientist who emigrated to Britain in 1938. Rotblat took part in the Manhattan Project in 1944, but resigned when […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: August 2024
Items include: Video: Carlo Rovelli, Hay Festival annual lecture / interview Report: The Future for UK Defence, Diplomacy and Disarmament Recent articles and reports of interest Pugwash Forum mailing list Annual membership 1. Video: Carlo Rovelli, Hay Festival annual lecture / interview This year’s lecture featured Professor Carlo Rovelli, who spoke on how ‘Relations, […]
G7 Science Academies: Joint Statement on Nuclear Arms Control
Nuclear Arms Control After a sustained period of declining numbers of nuclear warheads, there is a risk this trend could now reverse. The decrease in the number of warheads was the combined effect of numerous treaties. Following the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)), the United States and Russia established a set of bilateral arms reduction and […]
What Has Become of the “New World Order”?
Peter Jenkins, Chairman of British Pugwash, spoke recently at an international meeting convened by Pugwash Conferences. This is an abridged and edited transcript. The title of this session, Challenges to Global Order, took my mind back to March 1991 when President George H W Bush addressed Congress following the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait. […]
British Pugwash update: June 2024
Fact checking the Sunday Telegraph’s interview with Jens Stoltenberg A recent ‘exclusive’ article in the Sunday Telegraph featured an interview with Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO. It is concerning that the summary of Stoltenberg’s answers provided in the article is misleading in places. For example, the journalist who conducted the interview wrote that: “NATO […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: May 2024
Items include: Upcoming Hay Festival lecture, 1 June: Professor Carlo Rovelli Annual lecture and interview: Professor Dame Athene Donald Webinar video: Dr James Acton AGM and Annual Report Student / Young Pugwash Update Recent articles and reports of interest Obituary: Kit Hill Download this newsletter as a pdf here. Upcoming Hay Festival lecture, 1 June: […]
Video of Annual Lecture and Interview: Professor Dame Athene Donald, 9th May, 1730
Lecture title: Reflections on the legacy of Sir Joseph Rotblat in a time of nuclear risk Speaker: Professor Dame Athene Donald Watch the video of the lecture and our interview below: … Thursday, May 9, 5:30 – 6:30pm GMT+1 The Babbage Lecture Theatre, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ (in person […]
Video of Webinar with Dr James Acton, 8th April @ 6pm
On Monday 8th April at 6pm we held our latest webinar with Dr James Acton. Watch the video of the event below… We discussed rising tensions between the nuclear powers, and the prospects for a more peaceful world. In particular, we considered nuclear entanglement and escalation risks, and the impact of new technologies on nuclear […]
China’s Call for a No-First-Use Agreement
Reuters reported from Beijing on 28 February that the director general of the arms control department in the PRC foreign ministry had called for States with the largest nuclear arsenals to negotiate a treaty on no-first-use of nuclear weapons against each other, or to make political statements to that effect. The call was made during […]
Video of SYP-UK Webinar: ‘AI and nuclear matters’, 29/03/24
Student / Young Pugwash-UK Webinar: ‘AI and nuclear matters’ Watch the video of this webinar here: Date / time: 29 March 2024, 14.00 GMT Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a subject of immediate and growing concern. The revolutionary potential of this technology could significantly reshape global society for good or ill. This […]
Review of the 7th Annual SYP Conference: AI, Peace and Security
Contents: 1. Summary review of the 7th Annual SYP Conference: ‘AI: Implications for peace and security’ 2. Conference materials: video / pictures / slides / presenter contact details 1. Conference Review “Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents enormous global opportunities: it has the potential to transform and enhance human wellbeing, peace and prosperity”. […]
Provisional agenda: 7th Annual SYP Conference: ‘AI, Peace and Security’, 27/01/24, King’s College London
You are invited to the 7th Annual Student / Young Pugwash Conference on 27 January 2024 The venue is King’s College London, Strand Campus, Dockrill Room (K6.07). Registration will take place from 9.30am and the first session will start at 10am. The subject of the conference is ‘Artificial Intelligence: implications for peace and security’. We want to […]
Invitation: Student / Young Pugwash, Artificial Intelligence Peace and Security Conference, 270124
You are invited to the 7th Annual Student / Young Pugwash Conference on 27 January 2024 The venue is King’s College London, Strand Campus, Dockrill Room (K6.07). Registration will take place from 9.30am and the first session will start at 10am. The subject of the conference is ‘Artificial Intelligence: implications for peace and security’. We want […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: December 2023
British Pugwash Newsletter: December 2023 Items include: New briefing: Aspects of UK Nuclear Weapons Possession Pugwash Meeting on Irreversibility in the Nuclear Domain Student / Young Pugwash Update: Annual Conference; Negotiation Simulation Webinar video: Professor Steve Fetter on rising nuclear risks Recent articles and reports of interest —> Download this newsletter as […]
New Briefing: Aspects of UK Nuclear Weapons Possession
Aspects of UK Nuclear Weapons Possession Download a pdf of this briefing here. This briefing covers four areas: i) UK nuclear weapons modernisation ii) the UK-US nuclear relationship iii) UK nuclear use policy in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war iv) UK action on nuclear arms control and disarmament. 1. Modernising the […]
Pugwash Meeting on Irreversibility in the Nuclear Domain
British and International Pugwash convened a discussion on the theme of irreversibility in the nuclear domain in Rome on 20 and 21 November 2023. The 12 participants, present in a personal capacity, came from the USA, Russia, China, India, the UK, Canada, Italy, Belgium, and Germany. The group comprised former diplomats, political scientists, physicists, and […]
Call for papers: Student / Young Pugwash Conference, 27 January 2024
7th Annual Conference, Saturday 27 January 2024 Call for papers and presentations Theme: Artificial Intelligence: implications for peace and security Location: King’s College London / Online via zoom Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a subject of immediate and growing concern. The revolutionary potential of this technology could significantly reshape global society for good or ill. This […]
Video, Dr Steve Fetter 18/10/23: ‘Reducing nuclear weapons and the risk of nuclear war’
Date / Time: 18 October 2023, 1400-1530 BST Venue: Dockrill room, K6.07, Strand Building, King’s College London Strand Campus, WC24 2LS Webinar: To join the event online via zoom register here NB: Please note that if you wish to attend the event in-person at King’s College London, you must register through CSSS’ online form in […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: September 2023
Items include: 1. Webinar: Reducing nuclear weapons and the risk of nuclear war 2. Videos of recent webinars / Joseph Rotblat documentary 3. Russia-Ukraine war: publications / materials 4. British Pugwash annual report 5. Recent articles and reports of interest 6. Student and Young Pugwash update 7. Obituary: Professor Edward (Ted) Cocking Download this newsletter as a pdf here […]
NPT States parties call for No-First-Use policies
British Pugwash is an advocate for NATO adopting a No First Use (NFU) nuclear policy. A public opinion poll we conducted earlier this year found that 48 percent of UK adults oppose the first use of nuclear weapons by the United Kingdom, and only 40 percent support first use. This finding builds on the results […]
New Podcast Episode!
📣 WE ARE BACK 📣 We know you have missed our podcast, so we have launched a third episode! Do you want to learn more about deterrence theory? Come listen to our newest episode! This time, SYP Board Member Jan Quosdorf interviews Dr. Polina Sinovets – director of the Odessa Center for Nonproliferstion. They talk […]
SYP Event: What to know about Oppenheimer
SYP UK will be hosting a webinar tomorrow July 26th at 3:30 BST on what to know before watching the second most anticipated movie of the summer (after Barbie). We will be joined in this webinar by Lilly Adams, Emily Faux and Mackenzie Knight. Please fill out the RSVP if you wish to attend: https://forms.gle/WimegwaZxFW8j8F1A
July 2023 Update: Nuclear Weapon Use Risk in Ukraine
In our last note on this subject (27 June) we drew attention to the fact that President Putin had publicly rejected calls from some Russian figures to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but appeared still to be playing with the idea that threats to Russia’s territorial integrity could justify the use of such weapons – a lower threshold […]
SYP Podcast: Second Episode is Out Now!
The second episode of the SYP Podcast is out now! In this episode, our SYP Coordinator Andrea is joined by Darya Dolzikova, from RUSI’s Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme. The Research Fellow shares what first inspired her to research nuclear issues, and then takes us on a journey to examine diplomacy and deterrence in both […]
Nuclear risk: and how we can work to reduce it- Video
On May 23 the Physics Department at Oxford University hosted two British Pugwash Executive Committee members (Dr David Ellwood and Dr Peter Collecott) who spoke on the subject of ‘Nuclear risk: and how we can work to reduce it’. Event description 90 years ago, while waiting to cross the road at Russell Square, the refugee […]
Peace Table for Ukraine and Russia: Report and Video
On April 27 the Canadian Pugwash Group (CPG) hosted an expert speaker event entitled “Peace Table for Ukraine and Russia”. The event was motivated by the CPG’s deep concerns about the continuing deaths and destruction occurring as a result of the Ukraine crisis and, most critically, by the heightened risk of the use of nuclear […]
Nuclear Weapon Use Risk in Ukraine
Asked (on 16 June at a conference in St Petersburg) how he felt about the case for using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine which some Russian military “experts” have been making of late, President Putin replied: “My feelings are negative. This use of nuclear weapons is certainly theoretically possible. For Russia, this is possible if a […]
NEW Student and Young Pugwash Podcast!
Hello everyone! Student / Young Pugwash UK has started a new podcast on Spotify! Make sure to check it out and learn more about nuclear policy. In its first season, the SYP UK Podcast will be covering nuclear diplomacy. This first episode features SYP Board member Jan Quosdorf interviewing Dr. Mark Bell, Associate Professor of […]
British Pugwash Annual Report 2022
Contents in this year’s annual report include: Developments in 2022 (Nuclear arms control / Chemical and Biological weapons / Climate change) Projects (Student and Young Pugwash / Peace Jam / Nuclear risk reduction / Climate change) Meetings and events (Including on: the Ukraine conflict / the nuclear non proliferation treaty / nuclear energy) Internal developments […]
2023 UK public opinion survey on nuclear weapons: article and data
In January 2023 British Pugwash and polling company Savanta conducted a survey of UK public opinion concerning nuclear weapons issues. The poll aimed to understand the views of the British public in this area and assess potential support for policies that advance nuclear arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. The poll asked UK adults seven questions […]
Video: 2023 Annual Lecture, Webinar with Professor Sir Hew Strachan, 9th May
What does the invasion of Ukraine tell us about war, deterrence and escalation? 5.30pm, Tuesday 9th May, online Mindful that the 1955 Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which inspired the launch of Pugwash Conferences, highlights the threat to humankind’s survival posed by war in a nuclear age, we have invited one of our Honorary Patrons, Professor Sir Hew […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: April 2023
Items include: AGM Lecture with Professor Sir Hew Strachan, 9th May Videos of recent webinars UK public opinion survey on nuclear weapons EuroPugwash meeting Recent articles and reports of interest Student and Young Pugwash update AGM Lecture (Online): Professor Sir Hew Strachan, 9th May What does the invasion of Ukraine tell us about war, […]
Speaker event, 1st March 2023: Power from Fusion- why the sudden excitement?’ with Prof Sir Ian Chapman
Join British Pugwash at our latest speaker event: ‘Power from Fusion- why the sudden excitement?’ with Prof Sir Ian Chapman (Chief Executive Officer of the UK Atomic Energy Authority) 7pm, Weds 1st March Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3), 297 Euston Rd, London, NW1 3AQ https://www.iom3.org/events-awards/ems-event-calendar/transition-talks-power-from-fusion.html A Q&A will follow the talk. The event will […]
Webinar 14th December: Nuclear weapons, the Ukraine conflict and beyond
Join us for this webinar on Wednesday 14th December at 1500 GMT. Our speakers will discuss: nuclear threats and doctrine concerning the Ukraine conflict, nuclear weapons modernisation, the prospects for nuclear arms control and ideas on nuclear risk reduction. Our panel includes: Shannon Bugos, Senior Policy Analyst at the Arms Control Association Dr Tim Street, […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: November / December 2022
Items include: 1. Webinar on nuclear weapons and the Ukraine- 14th December 2. Video of September’s webinar 3. Memorial service for Dr Christopher Watson 4. Rodney Fielding, former member of British Pugwash 5. Recent articles and reports of interest 6. Student and Young Pugwash update … 1. December webinar: Nuclear weapons, the Ukraine conflict and beyond Join us […]
A British Pugwash Note on the Absence of Sole Purpose in NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept
In June 2022 NATO members adopted an updated Strategic Concept (the preceding Concept having been adopted in 2010). There was reason to hope that in the updated Concept NATO members would envisage using nuclear weapons only in response to their first use by a nuclear-armed adversary. That reason lay in remarks made by President Biden […]
On ending the Ukraine conflict and reducing nuclear dangers
Note by the President and the Secretary General of Pugwash 1. We note with great concern the worsening situation in the ongoing conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The annexation of areas currently controlled by the Russian military will exacerbate tensions as Ukraine seems determined to recover the occupied regions and is supported by […]
The Extension of Russian Nuclear Weapon Use Risk to the Ukrainian Theatre, a British Pugwash Note
On 21 September President Putin said: “If the territorial integrity of our nation is threatened, we will certainly use all the means that we have to defend Russia and our people.” On 30 September he reiterated the point at the signing of treaties for the accession to the Russian Federation of the Donetsk and Lugansk […]
Pugwash note on the outcome of the 10th NPT Review Conference
Pugwash notes with regret that the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) have not been able to achieve consensus on a Final Document at the Tenth Review Conference. The NPT is an important element of the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and all Parties must continue to support it in […]
Dr Christopher Watson
With great sadness British Pugwash learned of the death of a former chairman, Dr Christopher Watson, on 17 August. Christopher had a career spanning 35 years in the UK nuclear industry, including 17 years at Culham, working on Controlled Fusion research (culminating in 5 years on the JET project). He then worked as a research […]
Pugwash Note on Present Dangers
The below Pugwash Note was written by Sergio Duarte, President, and Dr Paolo Cotta Ramusino, Secretary-General, of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. The present global situation is very dangerous. Not since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis have we had such a dangerous environment. But while the Cuban missile crisis lasted 13 days, […]
A reminder of why nuclear weapons must never be used (VIDEO)
In the video below, Dr Ira Helfand, co-chairman of the Nuclear Weapons Abolition Committee of Physicians for Social Responsibility, offers a timely reminder of the horrifying power of thermonuclear weapons and of the dire consequences of the political irresponsibility that has left Russia and the United States in possession of 10,000+ nuclear warheads thirty years […]
Note on nuclear risks and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (March 2022)
The below is a British Pugwash Note, prepared by Peter Jenkins CMG, Chairman of British Pugwash. It is titled ‘How high is the risk of nuclear weapon use following the Russian invasion of Ukraine?’ and is in PDF format here During an interview on 3 March Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, said: We have a […]
VIDEO: Small Modular Reactors – Talk by Dr Mamdouh El-Shanawany
On Tues 26th April, British Pugwash hosted a talk and discussion on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), covering issues like costs, security and safeguards. The talk was given by Dr Mamdouh El-Shanawany, Chief Nuclear Advisor at Lloyd’s Register and formerly the Head of Nuclear Safety Assessment Section at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
VIDEO: Technology & Peace Conference – SYP UK
On the 12th February 2022, Student/Young Pugwash (SYP) UK hosted its online Annual Conference on the theme of ‘Technology & Peace’. The co-hosts were University of Leicester’s Third Nuclear Age project. Full programme is here Video Workshop 1 – Emerging / digital technologies in warfare Workshop 2 – The politics and future of UK nuclear […]
VIDEO: Robot wars? Current and future challenges posed by drones and lethal autonomous weapons
On Thursday 25th November, British Pugwash and SYP UK’s Project on Ethical Science co-hosted a panel discussion on the technical, ethical and political challenges posed by drone warfare and lethal autonomous weapons (‘Killer Robots’). Speakers include: Dr Peter Burt, Researcher at Drone Wars UK (here), on technical / ‘state of play’ [Starts at 0mins25secs] Dr Ingvild […]
UK public opinion on ‘First Use’ of nuclear weapons (Oct 2021)
British Pugwash note: Two Thirds of UK Public Opposed to “First Use” of Nuclear Weapons (PDF report here) The “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance” of the United States, released on 3 March 2021, states that the Biden administration will take steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security strategy, while ensuring that […]