Nuclear Arms Control and International Security: Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Policy

This in-person workshop was provided to Congressional staff responsible for issues of international security and nuclear arms control to educate and support them in their legislative work. Each session featured presentations from renowned experts followed by a lively Q&A with the participants. The workshop was attended by 30 people, including panelists, Congressional participants, and Academy staff. On the previous day, June 8, a delegation of staff and experts from the Academy conducted a dozen briefings with Members and staff of Congress to update them on the Academy's robust nuclear work.

Agenda

Session 1: Core Concepts in Arms Control
The origins of nuclear deterrence and strategic stability; challenges and opportunities in potential arms control negotiations
Speaker: Dr. Steven E. Miller (Harvard University) 

Session 2: The U.S., Russia, and China: Managing Nuclear Rivalries
The status of nuclear modernization programs in Russia and China; the evolution of nuclear postures and policies; areas of future international security cooperation after the Ukraine war
Speakers: Professor Fiona Cunningham (University of Pennsylvania) and Dr. Anya Loukianova Fink (CNA and University of Maryland) 

Session 3: Deterrence in a Multipolar Nuclear World
The effects of regional nuclear dynamics on the global order; the implications of new and emerging technologies on strategic stability; maintaining deterrence in precarious geopolitical circumstances
Speakers: Professor Caitlin Talmadge (Georgetown University) and Professor Christopher F. Chyba (Princeton University)

The event was kindly sponsored by Representative Stephen Lynch (MA-8), with funding generously provided by the Raymond Frankel Foundation under the Academy's "Promoting Dialogue on Arms Control and Disarmament" project.