Our Patrons

Our Patrons are:
• Lord Martin Rees OM FRS
• Dame Athene Donald DBE FRS
• Sir Timothy Gowers FRS
• Sir Brian Heap FRS
• Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith FRS
• Prof Margaret MacMillan CH OM
• General Sir Nick Parker KCB CBE
• Sir Hew Strachan DL FRSE FRHistS
• Prof Angela Vincent FMedSci FRS

Our Activities

Our activities include studies of science and policy issues, regular public discussion and education meetings, and engagement with politicians and government officials.

You can watch videos of our recent webinars and events on our YouTube channel. Follow British Pugwash and Student / Young Pugwash on X (Twitter) and Facebook.

Our publications include in-depth scientific and policy research, as well as newsletters, our Annual Reports and reports from conferences and events.

Our youth wing, SYP UK, is also extremely active and publishes updates on news and events here

Our Projects

Current projects include research on the ethics of armed robotic systems, the potential impact of emerging technologies on nuclear weapon systems, the climate-nuclear nexus and continued work on future energy options for the UK.

Recent projects include the WMD Awareness public education campaign and efforts to establish a British Disarmament Institute.

Membership

British Pugwash is a membership organisation that brings together scientists and others concerned with international affairs and disarmament.

We are led by our Executive Committee and receive the support of nine Patrons.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee comprises:

• Peter Jenkins CMG (Chairman)
• Dr Ian Crossland (Treasurer)
• Dr Tim Street (Secretary)
• James Brady
• Dr Peter Collecott
• Dr David Ellwood
• Dr Mamdouh El-Shanawany
• Andrew Gibson
• Dr Richard Guthrie
• Sally Milne

Latest publications, events and news
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Video: ‘Autonomous Armageddon, Nuclear Weapons and AI’

This webinar, held on January 26, explored the alarming dangers posed by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into nuclear weapons systems. Hosted by three Nobel Peace Prize-winning organizations dedicated to eliminating nuclear weapons, this event featured expert speakers, including: – Representative of Nihon Hidankyo, 2024 Nobel Peace Prize – Professor Geoffrey Hinton, 2024 Nobel […]

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Video: Dr P.J. Blount on ‘The Co-evolution of the Nuclear-Space Age’ 19 February

‘Sibling Rivalry: The Co-evolution of the Nuclear-Space Age’ with Dr P.J. Blount (Assistant Professor of Space Law, Durham University Law School), 19 February Watch the video here: Space and nuclear technologies grew up together with deep interlinkages bred from a common Cold War genealogy. Despite their deep connections, one became the feared older brother and […]

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Webinar video: Prof Tom Sauer on ‘New Technology and Nuclear Deterrence’ 29/01/25

Watch the video of this webinar on our YouTube channel here: Prof Sauer argued that the combination of emerging and disruptive technologies and strategic conventional weapons may have a revolutionary impact on the future of the debate about nuclear weapons. While emerging and disruptive technologies may yield additional arguments to keep relying on nuclear weapons […]

A Second U.S. “Strategic Defense Initiative”

President Trump has issued an executive order that calls for deploying and maintaining a “next-generation missile defense shield”, an “Iron Dome for America”. … EXECUTIVE ORDER The Iron Dome for America January 27, 2025 Sec. 2 Policy.  To further the goal of peace through strength, it is the policy of the United States that: (a)  […]

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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 […]