The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC) are pleased to announce an intensive online course on the impact of novel technological and recent geopolitical changes on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), mechanisms to control their spread, and disarmament.
Graduate and postgraduate students in technical or natural science disciplines are invited to apply. The course will take place on 8–11 April 2025 from 14:00 to 18:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST).
The course will cover the fundamentals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; the non-proliferation and disarmament regimes designed to control them; the impact of novel technologies and recent geopolitical changes on WMD proliferation, disarmament, and nuclear security; the proliferation risks associated with natural sciences and engineering skills and knowledge; as well as potential career paths in non-proliferation and disarmament of WMD. The course will also discuss the role of the EU institutions and industry to address the challenges mentioned above.
Course instructors will include renowned experts on non-proliferation, arms control, disarmament, export controls, verification and related subjects from SIPRI, other European research centres, think tanks and international organizations. The language of instruction is English.
Eligibility
The course is open to all students currently enrolled in university and pursuing a graduate or postgraduate degree in any technical or natural science discipline, as well as early-career individuals (with five years of work experience or less) dealing with topics relevant to this course in their professional capacity.
There is no tuition fee. Twenty applicants will be selected as the course participants and will be awarded participation certificates upon successful completion of the course.
Persons who already participated in a EUNPDC online or in-person course in this series are not eligible to participate again. Applications from qualified women and under-represented communities are encouraged.
Due to the popularity of the course and its online nature, up to fifteen applicants who do not satisfy the eligibility criteria described above may be invited to participate as observers. These may include, for example, mid-career professionals for whom these topics are relevant. To be eligible for observer status, an applicant should demonstrate relevance of their occupation to the course topic. Observers will have the same access to the online course and course materials as participants but will not receive participation certificates.
Selected participants and observers will be given access to preparatory materials and will be expected to take part in all sessions of the course, permitting exceptional circumstances.
Applications
The deadline for applications is 3 March 2025. As space is limited, we recommend that applications are submitted as early as possible.
Applications should be submitted in English via the online form. Applicants will be asked to upload a cover letter and a curriculum vitae.
Selection will be finalized by 17 March 2025 and applicants will be informed thereafter.
All inquiries about the course should be directed to Vitaly Fedchenko, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme, by writing to fedchenko@sipri.org or clicking on the contact below.