UK PONI Annual Conference 2026

RAdm John Gower CB OBE Poster Competition Award

Rear Admiral John Gower, CB OBE, dedicated his 36-year military career to supporting strategic nuclear deterrence capabilities while advocating for a diminished reliance on nuclear weapons and pursuing the UK’s disarmament obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. As Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Nuclear & Chemical, Biological), he led efforts to counter Syria’s chemical weapons programme, engaged in several international dialogues and initiatives to reduce nuclear risk, and served almost half of his career at sea, eventually commanding two globally deployed submarines. To honour his impactful contributions, we are proud to name the UK PONI Annual Conference poster competition after him.

Poster Competition Participants

Creating Excellence: Addressing the Employment Demands of Tomorrow
Euan Hayward, Rolls-Royce

Decommissioning vs New Build: Can the UK Nuclear Sector Expand While Dismantling Its Past?
Anastasia Pantiru, AWE

Deployed Energy - Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs)
Kevin Vincent, Babcock

The May 2025 India–Pakistan Crisis and Future Nuclear Crisis Scenarios in South Asia
Ching Wei Sooi, BASIC

Baselining and Raising the Nuclear IQ
Andrew Christensen, Dstl

Regional Instability and the Possible Nuclear Partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
Tom Blackmore, MASS

Regional Instability and the Possible Nuclear Partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
Adam Harris, MASS