On 10 September, the UK Project on Nuclear Issues (UK PONI) hosted its flagship Annual Conference, bringing together emerging and established nuclear professionals to engage in discussions on the most critical issues facing the nuclear field today.
The UK PONI Annual Conference is the UK's premier gathering of expertise among the next generation of nuclear professionals, drawing participants from a broad range of backgrounds, including academia, government, industry, think tanks and the military. This year’s conference attracted 150 participants and featured a series of panels and presentations covering topics such as:
- Shifting Strategies in European Nuclear Deterrence
- Safety, Security and Innovation in Civil Nuclear Energy
- Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on Deterrence and Arms Control
- Enhancing the UK’s Nuclear Skills Across Civil and Defence Sectors
The recordings of the keynote speeches and the sessions are now available on the Conference website.
Keynote speakers for this year’s Conference included Josef Pitt-Rashid, Strategy and Policy Director at the Defence Nuclear Organisation, UK Ministry of Defence; Chris Heffer, Director of Nuclear Power, Infrastructure and Decommissioning, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; and Dr Sarah B Hiza, Vice President of Engineering and Technology at Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. The speakers shared insights into their experiences and the current and future landscape of the nuclear field.
Commenting on the importance of dialogue on UK nuclear policy, Josef Pitt-Rashid said:
In the way you look at government, think of it not only as a subject that you can study and analyse, but also as something that you can shape and participate in. You are part of the team, and this is a national endeavour.
Josef Pitt-Rashid, Strategy and Policy Director at the Defence Nuclear Organisation, UK Ministry of Defence
The Conference also included the Rear Admiral John Gower Poster Competition, where emerging professionals showcased their research in the format of an academic poster. The first prize was named in honour of Rear Admiral John Gower CB OBE, in recognition of his 36-year military career and commitment to nuclear deterrence and risk reduction.
In addition to the panel discussions and poster presentations, the Annual Conference offered multiple networking opportunities, facilitating connections across the nuclear community.
About UK PONI
This year marks the 14th anniversary of the UK Project On Nuclear Issues (UK PONI). Over the past 14 years, its Annual Conference has become the premier forum for emerging scholars and professionals to consider salient issues in nuclear policy, to share their work, and to connect with peers and established experts.
About RUSI’s Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Programme
The Proliferation and Nuclear Policy team at RUSI conducts research and convenes dialogue on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons issues. We have five main programmes of work:
- Understanding deterrence and risk in the new nuclear age
- Stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery
- Strategic and security aspects of civil nuclear power
- Understanding chemical and biological weapon threats
- Building nuclear policy networks and encouraging learning
Across all of these programmes, we write public and private analysis, we brief policymakers and parliamentarians, we bring people together in high-level discussions and next-generation networks, and we contribute to public debate.