We had an excellent presentation from, and discussion with, Nicholas Wheeler and Chiara Cervasio on their fantastic work with Mark Saunders, where they are developing a model to capture the process from distrust to trust and applying it to the 1998-1999 Lahore Peace Process.

What a proud moment it is to be the only Pakistani scholar in this Assembly. Onwards and upwards. Continue inspiring and challenging us to improve, Rabia Akhtar.

The Trump Factor |VOL 1 ISSUE 4: When Trust Breaks Down: Europe And The Future Of US Security Guarantee by Nicholas Wheeler “Trust erodes and ultimately breaks down when vulnerability is experienced as anxiety and fear,” writes Nicholas J. Wheeler in this urgent examination of

Thanks to @HappmonJacob and the team at India's World for inviting me to contribute this piece which argues that the erosion of trust between the United States and Europe today is on an unprecedented scale that raises worrying concerns BASIC POLSIS Birmingham College of Social Sciences

To mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki––and the start of the nuclear epoch––I have explored the role of fear in driving states to acquire nuclear arms and the limits of fear as a basis for lasting security theconversation.com/fear-built-the…

Nick Wheeler’s insight is on point: Fear birthed the bomb; only trust can prevent its return Ironically, for decades, what passed for “trust” was merely shared fear of MAD ⁦Uni of Birmingham⁩ ⁦BASIC⁩ #hiroshima theconversation.com/fear-built-the…

My latest with Marcus Holmes reflecting on what past summits might tell us about the possibilities and pitfalls of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's Alaska summit meeting today birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/trum… BASIC

Nuclear Deterrence Fellow (PostDoc) in Leicester - University of Leicester jobs.le.ac.uk/vacancies/1191…

BASIC’s latest publication in conjunction with its Emerging Voices Network offers a compelling insight by early career experts as to how it’s possible to achieve a world without nuclear weapons: basicint.org/de-siloing-exi…

#ComingSoon #StrategicReckoning I am truly excited to bring forth this important edited volume at a critical juncture for South Asia. "Strategic Reckoning: Perspectives on Deterrence and Escalation Post-Pahalgam – May 2025" is the collective outcome of some of Pakistan’s most

A great piece by my The Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs colleague Frank Gavin. Hugely important. People misuse history, and all your favorite analogies are flawed. Thinking historically, Gavin argues, is not about dusting off old answers, but about asking the right kinds of questions.

Deepening BASIC's interest in the critical nuclear-space nexus, Policy Intern Ching Wei Sooi and co-organiser Nicolas Ayala Arboleda will soon be moderating a series of webinars on the Golden Dome - America's new space-based missile defence initiative. lnkd.in/eZsmMgVc

My book is being launched on 14 October in Oxford, All Soul's College, at 1:30pm. How to Survive a Hostile World: Power, Politics and the Case for Realism. A world class panel of Jeanne Morefield, Susan Martin, David Blagden Seán Molloy All Welcome! ccw.ox.ac.uk/events/2025/po…

The latest issue of International Relations is out! An exciting line up starting with Prof Kimberly Hutching's E H Carr lecture; this series of articles seeks to de-colonise, globalise and broaden #IR perspectives and topics ➡️➡️➡️journals.sagepub.com/toc/ireb/39/3

My latest for Belfer Center Islamabad is not offering Riyadh a covert “nuclear button,” and Riyadh is not signing up to fight in Kashmir. Defense cooperation ≠ automatic war pledge, and signaling ≠ nuclear guarantee. belfercenter.org/research-analy…

Guess which global leader recently said, “…none of us can fully foresee the future. However, that does not absolve us of the responsibility to be prepared for it…” This 💭 crosses an mind wearing a crown & lies at the heart of the debate over security dilemma Nicholas Wheeler

We had a great "problem-solving" session yesterday, talking through several challenges that members are facing with their research on trust (and related concepts), from analyzing interviews to developing grant applications. Great to have a supportive community of researchers!

🚨EVENT ALERT!!🚨 CSDR is delighted to bring to you a roundtable discussion on the report "Emerging and Disruptive Technologies in South Asia: Perceptions of Risks and Responsibilities in Crisis Management and Prevention" by BASIC 📢Join our experts for this timely

Always such a pleasure meeting Dr. Chiara Cervasio Chiara Cervasio 🙌 At the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament conference in Brussels, she chaired our session on India-Pakistan strategic stability. Her moderation was marked by authority, depth of understanding, and the rare ability to bring clarity

Playwright and Actor Michael Mears discusses his play, The Mistake - about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima - in a wide ranging interview with BASIC: basicint.org/playwright-and…