UK PONI Annual Conference 2026

Attendees are requested to arrive at least five minutes before the conclusion of registration to guarantee they are seated for the start of the conference.

Welcome remarks will be given by Dr Robert Jordan, Director, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, and Director of the UK Project on Nuclear Issues at RUSI.

The opening keynote will be given by Rob Harrison, Director General Warhead, Defence Nuclear Organisation, Ministry of Defence.

09:40 - 10:20: Presentations

'Allied Anxiety and Nuclear Ambition: Rethinking Proliferation in an Era of Uncertain U.S. Commitments'
Nour Eid 

'On Sub-Strategic Nuclear Deterrence: Strategy, Posture, and Credibility'
Eli Glickman, Centre for Nuclear Strategy and Security, KCL 

'Strengthening European Nuclear Deterrence: Better Leveraging the Arsenals of the UK and France' 
Anandi Sweere, Independent

10:20 - 10:45 Panel Q&A

Moderator: Professor Andrew Futter, University of Leicester

Coffee and tea will be available for conference attendees.

This session will introduce the poster competition and how voting will be managed during the day.

11:30 – 12:10 Presentations  

'"Nukes Don't Exist": How Fringe Conspiracies and Information Warfare Threaten Nuclear Deterrence'
Annabel Biggs, AWE 

'Securing the Unsecured: Attacks on Nuclear Facilities'
Ali Alkış, NATO Defense College 

'Drones, Hybrid Pressure and Nuclear Stability: How UAV Intrusions Expose New Vulnerabilities'
Evan Curran-Ross 

12:10 – 12:45 Panel Q&A  

Moderator: Dr Andrew Leigh, MASS

Lunch will be available for conference delegates. Attendees will also have an opportunity to view the posters as part of the competition and network.

The lunchtime keynote address will be given by Charlotte Nichols MP, Labour co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Nuclear

14:15 – 14:55 Presentations 

'What the UK Should Learn from the Franco Nuclear Naissance'
Hugo Clark, Rolls-Royce

'Utilising Am-241 from Legacy Civil Plutonium Stockpiles for Long-Duration Deep-Sea Sensor Networks'
Jack Lines, Cavendish Nuclear 

'The Next Generation: Are UK Schools Reinforcing Nuclear Misconceptions?'
Iden Starfire, UK Ministry of Defence

14:55 – 15:30 Panel Q&A

Moderator: Jeremy Edwards, UKNNL

There will be a 30 minute break beween panels. Refreshments will be provides to conference delegates.

16:00 – 16:40     Presentations 

'Beyond Abstract Assurance: North Korean Nuclear Warfighting and Extended Deterrence'
Sang Hun Seok, University of Cambridge 

'The New Strategic Vulnerability: Critical Material Dependencies in the Emerging Fusion Economy'
Zewelanji Nalwamba, University of Leicester 

'Red Lines in Grey Zones: Russian Nuclear Signalling in the Ukraine War'
Diana Kuznetsova, King's College London 

16:40 – 17:10  Panel Q&A

Moderator: Parham Ghobadi, BBC

We will announce the poster competition winners and provide closing remarks to the conference.

There will be a networking drinks reception for all conference delegates to attend.