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Year: 2024

The top three best startups of National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» from CIG have been determined

Posted on by National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute»

The experts of the CIG R&D LAB (CIG) educational and scholarship program selected the participants of the 7th season from Kharkiv Polytechnic. This took place at a pitching event where postgraduate students, students, young scientists and teachers of the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute presented their startup projects. Three teams with the best ideas were awarded the scholarships. Among them: an advanced mine detection system; a method of remediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals and radionuclides as a result of military operations; a highly mobile photovoltaic power supply system. From now on, the teams which got into the season will work with CIG specialists until June 2024 to implement their projects and start commercializing them. The winner will receive funding for his or her startup. It should be noted that exactly in this academic year, a record number of startups – 47 works – were submitted to the CIG competition from NTU «KhPI».

The CIG R&D Lab educational and scholarship program from Chernovetskyi Investment Group consists of three stages: submission of applications; presentation of projects to an expert jury and selection of scholarship teams; and determination of the winner. In total, 47 startups took part in the competition in the 2023/2024 academic year, which was the maximum number for all seasons of the CIG R&D LAB program at NTU «KhPI». Ten of them were selected to participate in the pitching. According to the jury members, all the presented projects are of a high level and are relevant in solving complex modern scientific and technical problems. They have new scientific solutions, intellectual property objects, publications in journals, as well as implementation in production or experimental testing in the real sector of the economy.

The selection process was held in an online format, and the jury members were representatives of NTU «KhPI» and Chernovetskyi Investment Group (CIG). You can watch the selection pitch here.

Following the second stage, three interesting and perspective startups were determined:

BrownC-Rec is a method of soil remediation contaminated by heavy metals and radionuclides as a result of military operations. The team leader is Denis Miroshnichenko, head of the department of oil, gas and solid fuel processing technology at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering. The team consists of Pavlo Karnojitskiy, associate professor of the department, and Mykhailo Miroshnichenko, student. The team already has a prototype, a patent, scientific articles and cooperation agreements with leading European research centers.

MineGuard is an advanced mine detection system that solves the extremely important problem of detecting explosive devices in the deoccupied territories. The complex system processes data from three sources: a thermal imager, a standard camera, and a ferromagnetic detector. The MineGuard components are controlled by artificial intelligence, using a computer vision model that reads data from the cameras and a neural network that can recognize signals from the ferromagnetometer. The team is led by Oleksii Vodka, head of the department of mathematical modeling and intelligent computing in engineering, and Volodymyr Metelev, associate professor of department computer modeling of processes and systems. The team consists of Pavlo Palamarchuk, a PhD student at the department of computer modeling of processes and systems; Marko Gimonov (Team Leader), Serhii Semivolos, and Viktor Lazarev, students of the department of computer modeling of processes and systems; Ilya Govorukha and Mykhailo Myronenko, students of the department of mathematical modeling and intellectual computing in engineering. All the participants of the MineGuard project study and work at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Computer Modeling, Applied Physics and Mathematics of NTU «KhPI».

Prominchik is a highly mobile photovoltaic energy supply system for emergency situations. The project implements an innovative approach that solves an important problem of autonomous electricity and hot water supply in the conditions of military operations; it is mobile, modular, quiet and energy-independent. The system combines the capabilities of generating electrical and thermal energy, and the authors have proposed a modular construction principle that allows the flexible regulation of the power to the needs of specific consumers. The head of the startup is Mykhailo Kirichenko, associate professor of the department of micro- and nanoelectronics at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Computer Modeling, Applied Physics and Mathematics. The team consists of Ivan Fedorov, a student of the department of micro- and nanoelectronics, and Eva Makarova and Vladyslav Berezhnoy, students of the department of electricity transmission of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Power Engineering, Electronics and Electromechanics

The teams developing of these ideas will improve their startups during the current academic year, receiving mentoring and financial support. The main task of NTU «KhPI» startups is to create a product and start commercializing it. The outcome of the 7th season of the CIG R&D LAB program at NTU «KhPI» will be the selection of the winning team, which will receive funding for further project development. The final of the program will take place at the end of the academic year.

Anton Drozdov, deputy director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Computer Modeling, Applied Physics and Mathematics, is the representative of NTU «KhPI» in the program jury team. Ruslan Kryvobok, head of the Research Department of NTU «KhPI», is the curator of the program from NTU «KhPI».

Note:

The CIG R&D Lab project is being implemented within the framework of a memorandum between NTU «KhPI» and CIG which was signed in August 2018.

Chernovetskyi Investment Group (CIG) is an investment company which included to the one of the largest venture capital investors in Eastern Europe, was founded in 2012.

For more information: http://cig.vc/

EdUHK Dr Kevin Chan Elected Fellow of Association for Psychological Science

Posted on by eduhk

Dr Kevin Chan Ka-shing, Head of Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, has been elected as a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) for his outstanding contribution to psychological science.

Dr Chan is a psychologist who studies the impact of stigma on the health and wellbeing of social minorities. His recent work focuses on examining stigma experienced by individuals with mental disorders and families of children with developmental disabilities. By investigating how stigma affects these disadvantaged populations and developing targeted interventions to address it, Dr Chan’s research aims to improve their wellbeing and promote equity and inclusion.

“I am deeply grateful for being elected as a Fellow of the APS. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my students, research assistants and collaborators,” said Dr Chan. “I will continue to promote the reduction of stigma and advocate for social justice through my research and knowledge transfer.”

The APS is the global scientific home for over 25,000 leading researchers, practitioners, teachers and students in the field of psychological science, spanning across all continents. Its aim is to advance scientific psychology beyond disciplinary and geographical boundaries. The status of Fellow is awarded to APS members who have consistently made exceptional contributions to the field of psychology through research, teaching, service and practical application.

Elevate Your Entrepreneurial Journey at Women Impact Entrepreneurship Day 2024!

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

Dive into the realm of inspiration with Sasin Sustainability & Entrepreneurship Center as we proudly present “Women Impact Entrepreneurship Day (WIED) 2024”!

This extraordinary event revolves around the theme, “New Horizons in Women Entrepreneurship: Embracing Diversity, Inspiring Change” on March 1, 2024, from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM at TK Hall, Sasin School of Management.

Secure your spot by registering here: http://bit.ly/SasinWIED2024

Join us in celebrating alongside the remarkable contributions of women in entrepreneurship and society, igniting the spirit of International Women’s Week and leading up to International Women’s Day.

In Collaboration with our Champions:
Proudly partnered with UN Women, UN GCNT, ANDE, WE-Can (Space Bangkok), and Sasin Inclusion along with their expansive networks.

Key Highlights:

Engaging Workshops including:

The 2030 SDG Game by Sasin School of Management:

A compelling experiential workshop utilizing game-based elements to simulate potential scenarios in our world by 2030. This immersive activity underscores the significance of harmonizing the three pillars of People, Planet, and Prosperity. Participants are encouraged to delve into the mindset and actions necessary for progressing towards sustainability.

Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration by Sasakawa Peace Foundation & ChangeFusion:

Engage with like-minded individuals on a journey with the Gender Lens Incubation & Acceleration (GLIA) introductory learning session, an awareness-based workshop designed for those seeking to explore the impactful subject of gender lens thinking in entrepreneurship.

Panel Discussions and Sharing Sessions to explore innovative perspectives in entrepreneurship.
Networking Opportunities with a diverse group of women entrepreneurs, business leaders, and advocates for gender equality.
Be part of this empowering expedition, where we embrace diversity and inspire change in the entrepreneurial landscape. Let us collectively shatter gender biases and revel in the symphony of equality!

For more information please contact [email protected]

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/149154/

USU Lecturer Concerned on the Extinction of Tapanuli Orangutan

Posted on by Editorial Team

Onrizal, S.Hut, M.Si., Ph.D., a Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara lecturer, was born and raised in Tapanuli, North Sumatra. The Tapanuli region is home to a particular species of orangutan, the Pongo tapanuliensis, which Onrizal still remembers was mentioned in local folklore as the ‘short man’ of the forest, who disappeared from the forest in the 1970s. The story remains relevant to the current reality about the orangutans in Tapanuli: these creatures have long vanished from the region’s forest.

Working together with Erik Meijaard, an assistant professor on the conversation from the University of Kent, UK, Onrizal published their study titled “The historical range and drivers of decline of the Tapanuli orangutan,” published in a Q1 Scopus-indexed journal PLOS ONE. The team scoured historical records for references to the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis). This species is the newest orangutan and is listed as the most endangered great ape in the world. The Tapanuli orangutan faces a much greater risk of extinction than previously thought.

Today, the Tapanuli orangutan is estimated to occupy only 2.5% of their historical habitat, and the threat of extinction is linked to habitat loss and hunting. This threat persists today and is exacerbated by infrastructure development and forest conversion in the last habitat of the Tapanuli orangutan in North Sumatra. According to the researchers, with habitat shrinking and hunting, the extinction of the Tapanuli orangutan is inevitable.

As stated in the study, less than 800 individual Tapanuli orangutans live in the Batang Toru forest, North Sumatra. The remaining habitat is estimated to cover only 2.5% of the range in which they lived about 130 years ago when researchers discovered them. That number shrank from nearly 41,000 km2 in the 1890s, to just 1,000 km2 in 2016.

To arrive at these figures, the researchers referred to colonial-era literature, such as newspapers, journals, books, and museum records, from the early 1800s to 2019 by using location-specific keywords such as “Sumatra”, “Batang Toeroe,” and “Tapanoeli,” with Dutch spelling then cross-referenced them with terms that specifically refer to orangutans used commonly in historical literature.

The researchers found that the Tapanuli orangutan historically inhabited a much wider area at a lower altitude than the Batang Toru mountain forest they occupy today. Much of this historical habitat was lost in the 1950s to smallholder agriculture before industrial-scale plantation development in Sumatra emerged in the 1970s. The combination of historical fragmentation of forest habitat and unsustainable hunting is likely to push them from the lowland forest areas, where they used to live, to the upland forests of the Batang Toru ecosystem.

The researchers think that it is likely that Pongo tapanuliensis was hunted to extinction in an increasingly fragmented part of its former home range. They survive in the remote and rocky Batang Toru Mountains which may have protected orangutans from hunting. These findings show that the Tapanuli orangutan is not a species specifically adapted to live in the highlands as some scientists claim.

Map of Sumatra Island showing the current distribution of Pongo tapanuliensis and Pongo abelii, as well as the main areas mentioned in the study. This finding raises concerns over the survival of the Tapanuli orangutan. It is estimated that fewer than 800 of these orangutans live in the Batang Toru forest, divided among three connected subpopulations.

The Tapanuli orangutan species face conflicting threats of hunting and killing, as well as habitat loss due to agriculture and plantations. New threats have also emerged, namely infrastructure development and the construction of hydropower roads, which have caused fragmentation of the remaining habitat of the Tapanuli orangutan.

Conservation experts say the most severe threat currently comes from the Batang Toru hydroelectric power plant. The construction of this hydropower plant is considered to endanger the connectivity between orangutan subpopulations in the west, east, and south. This fragmentation would cut the diversity of the orangutan gene pool dramatically, leading to inbreeding, disease, and, eventually, each subpopulation to extinction.

The researchers calculated that more than one percent of adult orangutans disappear from the wild per year, either being killed, translocated, or captured. With that data, extinction is inevitable, regardless of the initial population size.

Without further rescue efforts, the researchers estimated that this species could become extinct in the next few generations. The ongoing fragmentation of the Batang Toru forest only exacerbates this risk. Onrizal called on all stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, scientists, donors, local community representatives, and industry, to develop concrete action plans as soon as possible for the survival of this species.

Keeping an eye on your data

Posted on by Jonathan Reichental

Every business today is a technology business, each generating vast amounts of data. This has created remarkable opportunities and challenges.

The datasphere, the term for all the data we’ve created so far, is around 100 zettabytes and it’s going to double in about three years. A zettabyte, a term unfamiliar to many, is a large number. It’s one followed by 21 zeros. To put this in perspective, you’d need one billion terabyte hard drives to store one zettabyte of data. This scale of data and the velocity in which it is being created is consequential for every organisation.

Data is the most valuable asset

A consensus has formed in the business and data communities that data has now reached a point in which it is the most important asset in every organisation. My own research validates this.

Quality data at scale can contain remarkable answers and insights. With the right skills and tools, organisations can leverage data to enable improved decision-making and optimised operations. They can use data to drive competitive advantage, unleash innovation, and solve a wide range of intractable problems for business and society.

But achieving these results with data doesn’t happen without deliberate effort. The power of data is only realised through skillful governance.

The importance of governance

Whether we call it data governance or not, every organisation has some form of oversight for the data it handles. It could be as simple as knowing that data is being backed-up, or where certain data is located and who has access to it. Data governance, informal and formal, spans a wide continuum of approaches. However, it all comes down to this: is data being fully managed in the organisation and is its value being realised?

So, what does this actually mean in practice?

Defining data governance

At a high level, we can define data governance as data that is managed well. In aspiring to achieve high performance in managing data, we must ask to what degree are there agreed policies and processes for handling, for example, sensitive, legal, and regulatory data requirements? Are there documented accountabilities, formal decision structures, and enforcement rules for data? The right talent, processes, and technologies must exist. These are some of the many core attributes of good governance.

Today, the governance and management of data has become an actual science. There’s a wide range of data science professions and supporting educational programs. Software for supporting these professions has exploded in recent years, including incredible solutions for analytics, visualisation, and more. Increasingly, they are being powered by artificial intelligence.

Governance is a choice

In the absence of quality data governance, an organisation will never fully realise the potential of data and in fact, may subject itself to increasing levels of risk over time. These risks include inadvertently using bad data, experiencing privacy challenges, and suffering from the consequences of weak cybersecurity.

The demand for high-quality data governance and its promise is quickly making it a core function of an increasing number of organisations. Data can create important value for every organisation and to achieve this in an optimum fashion requires high-performing data governance. If it’s implemented well, it can be transformational.

Dr. Jonathan Reichental is a multiple-award-winning technology and business leader whose career has spanned both the private and public sectors. He’s been a senior software engineering manager, a director of technology innovation, and has served as chief information officer at both O’Reilly Media and the City of Palo Alto, California. Reichental is currently the founder of advisory, investment, and education firm, Human Future, and also creates online education for LinkedIn Learning. He has written three books on the future of cities: Smart Cities for Dummies, Exploring Smart Cities Activity Book for Kids, and Exploring Cities Bedtime Rhymes. His latest books include Data Governance for Dummies and a Cryptocurrency QuickStart Guide.

Read more articles like this from QS Insights Magazine, Issue 13.

Thammasat co-organized an international academic conference, ‘Language Education and Thai Studies

Posted on by Thammasat University

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University in collaboration with Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music and partner universities from abroad organized an international academic conference in Language Education and Thai Studies on the topic “Diversity and Perspectives in Language Education and Thai studies” at Iconsiam, Khlong San District, Bangkok.

This international academic conference is one of the side activities celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhan aKrom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra. The objective is to provide an opportunity for those interested, both Thais and foreigners, to present contents, concepts, theories, and educational methods related to the science of language education and issues related to Thai studies which have developed and changed. This is regarded as the dissemination of knowledge and the exchange of diverse perspectives and ideas in order to expand the knowledge in such sciences and education on a large scale.

Within the conference, there were music and cultural performances such as classical music performances in the ‘Kaew Kanlaya’ song and the ‘Saeng Nueng Kue Rung Ngam’ song french edition from the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music and the Kritdaphinihan dance performance from the Faculty of Liberal Arts students, Thammasat University.

In addition, there was an exhibition to promote Thai culture to the world, such as basketry, inhaler making, street food, Thai handicrafts and traditional dance, and the literary work by HRH “The Little Prince, The Young Future King” book translated into English, French and Chinese.

HKAPA Open Day Presents Over A Hundred Free Performing Arts Activities

Posted on by Editorial Team

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) will present its annual Open Day on March 3 this year, filled with over a hundred free performing arts events prepared by students and faculty from six Schools on the Wanchai Main Campus and the Béthanie Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam of the Academy. Some activities will make use of artificial intelligence (AI) and art technology, providing visitors with an immensely joyful and unique experience.

A wide array of performing arts activities includes a performance by Junior Symphony Orchestra, concerts of Chinese and Western music, excerpt performances of musicals, drama, Cantonese opera, Dance open classes, film and television screenings, as well as guided tours for immersive performing arts activities. Furthermore, visitors can even go to backstage to discover the secrets behind the scenes, including stage design, props and costumes making, as well as stage effects exhibitions, indulging themselves in the world of performing arts on the day. The “HKAPA Digital Stage @Lib” of the Academy Library also allows visitors to step onto different stages as the character of the Academy productions virtually and take a digital photo.

The Academy heartily welcomes everyone to embark on an amazing journey exploring the integration of AI and art technology in performing arts.

About The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (www.hkapa.edu)

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), established by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance in 1984, is a leading tertiary institution in the performing arts in Asia. It provides professional undergraduate education and practice-based postgraduate studies. The study encompasses Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning. Since 2008, the Academy has attained the Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) status awarded by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) to self-monitor and accredit its own undergraduate and post-secondary programmes in the five programme areas of Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Since 2016, the PAA status has been extended to cover Master’s Degree programmes and below; and since 2023, the programmes operated by the School of Chinese Opera accredited by HKCAAVQ has also received PAA status for its post-secondary and undergraduate programmes.

Besides the main campus in Wanchai, Béthanie, the site of the Academy’s Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam, has housed training facilities for the School of Film and Television since 2006.

In the QS University Rankings announced in 2023, the Academy ranks 1st in Asia and 13th in the world in the Performing Arts category.

HKAPA Open Day 2024
Sunday, March 3, 2024

Opening Hours

Wanchai Main Campus: 10 am – 5 pm

Béthanie Landmark Heritage Campus: 1 pm – 5 pm*

*Free shuttle bus services between the Wanchai Main Campus and the Béthanie Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis

Free admission, no registration required. For programme details, please visit https://www.hkapa.edu/event/hkapa-open-day2024 and the social media channels of the Academy.

Trailer of HKAPA Open Day 2024: https://youtu.be/1A79I2jMJe

Singapore Management University launches new Urban Institute focused on multi, interdisciplinary study of growing Asian cities

Posted on by Singapore Management University

As Asian cities urbanise at an unprecedented rate in history, young people are moving from rural areas to cities, seeking fairer access to education, jobs, housing, transportation and amenities of liveable city life. As demands on resources intensify, policy-makers are grappling with more complex infrastructural and socio-economic challenges.

Against this backdrop, Singapore Management University (SMU) recently launched the SMU Urban Institute (UI), a new research institute dedicated to the study of human-centred aspects of urbanisation, with a focus on balancing urban growth and sustainability.

Helming the new institute as its Director is SMU Associate Professor of Geography Orlando Woods. He says, “Whilst many urban planning and design models might draw on the examples of Western cities, it has become increasingly important to learn from the Asian urban experience to better understand how to address the challenges faced by our fast-growing cities.”

UI will address the sensory, socio-cultural and economic experiences of living in a city, the inequalities arising from wealth accumulation, and how infrastructure in terms of buildings, policy and regulation might limit or enable the growth of cities. Through a multi-and inter-disciplinary lens focused on Asian cities, the institute will engage with scholars, policymakers, communities and industry as a platform for cities to learn from one another, and explore collaborative solutions for sustainable urban development.

Commitment to collaboration

Underlying its commitment to sharing expertise, SMU inked a partnership with Thammasat University’s Design School at the launch of the institute. This will facilitate the exchange of research materials; students and researchers; and the joint organisation of seminars and symposiums.

SMU UI is also in talks with the University of Melbourne (UniMelb) and the University of Toronto (UOT) on a variety of urban research collaborations. SMU and the Melbourne Centre for Cities are planning to partner in a joint event for regional city leaders at the upcoming World Cities Summit in Singapore; while SMU and UOT have hosted a joint grant call to foster collaborative urban-related research on the theme of “Migration, Thriving and Belonging”.

The research pillars of the new institute

Spanning the disciplines of urban geography, urban and behavioural economics, public policy, operations management and geospatial data analytics, UI will consolidate SMU’s existing urban-related research and generate new research directions. It will focus its research on three pillars.

Urban Life, the first, seeks to explore what makes cities liveable, while Urban Growth studies inequalities and challenges of urban development. The third, Urban Infrastructure, looks at how hard infrastructure (materials) and soft infrastructures (such as social, legal or regulatory constraints) affect how cities evolve.

“Our investment in establishing UI cannot be overstated,” observes SMU President, Professor Lily Kong. She adds: “It is about undertaking deep, rigorous research to enhance our understanding of cities. But more than that, it is about laying the groundwork for liveable, resilient, and inclusive cities in Asia. As Asian cities grow at an unprecedented pace, the transformative potential of the UI becomes even more pronounced.”

UiTM Kedah Branch, Akita International University seal international linkages via MoU

Posted on by Syazliyati Ibrahim

Focusing on the main aim to become a Globally Renowned University and respected globally, the Academy of Language Studies, UiTM Kedah Branch, Malaysia does its part for UiTM by initiating a collaboration with a reputable and prestigious Japanese university, Akita International University. Sealing the linkage between both institutions with an online signing ceremony on 31 January 2024, UiTM Kedah Branch and Akita International University are set to proceed with more mutually beneficial activities.

So far, before signing the MoU, there were already two activities conducted by both institutions. Firstly, Mr. Travis Senzaki, the International Relations Officer was invited to give an online Global Learning talk to more than 100 UiTM students on 8 May 2023. The talk was on how to provide personal responses to a short story. Mr. Travis was invited because he is also a fiction writer. The Global Learning session was organized by a group of English language lecturers led by Puan Syazliyati Ibrahim and assisted by Puan Robekhah Harun, Puan Nor Asni Syahriza Abu Hassan and Puan Sharifah Syakila Syed Shaharuddin.

The second activity conducted was the International Teaching Practicum project held from 1 October 2023 until 31 December 2023. UiTM Kedah Branch received three post-graduate students from AIU who taught three English language diploma classes. The post-graduate students completed three two-hour sessions observing the classes and two two-hour sessions teaching the students. The post-graduate teacher-students are Rintaro Ikegami, Farhana Sarmin and Wenxin Zhang. These AIU students were co-supervised by Puan Syazliyati Ibrahim, Puan Robekhah Harun and Puan Syakirah Mohammed from UiTM and also Professor Hiroki Uchida and Professor Dr. Chris Carl Hale from AIU.

Both universities are grateful and satisfied for the dynamic participation of the lecturers in the activities conducted so far. Going forward after the MoU signing, it is hoped that other useful activities will be planned and executed to benefit the students in producing globally oriented students in the future.

Facing Nuclear Vulnerabilities

Posted on by Editorial Team

How are our nuclear weapon choices made? Who gets a say in making the knowledge that is used to justify these choices? Led by Benoît Pelopidas, Associate Professor at Sciences Po in Paris, NUCLEAR (“Nuclear Weapons Choices. Governing Vulnerabilities between Past and Future”), a 1.5 million euro project funded by the European Research Council (ERC), one of the most competitive and prestigious EU grants, addresses these questions. The project proposes novel concepts of vulnerability and luck and uses original-language primary sources, interviews worldwide and unpublished Europe-wide surveys. Contrary to the common belief that our nuclear choices are driven by objective material realities of international security or rational learning from all available information, it shows the key role of the imagined versions of the future, specific memories of past events or trends, and affects such as nostalgia.

The project empirically documents two types of vulnerability related to nuclear weapons – a material one and an epistemic one. The latter consists of the temptation to disconnect our beliefs from the available evidence. Professor Pelopidas also establishes a method for assessing the role of factors beyond our control – luck – in the avoidance of the knowledge of past nuclear explosions. He documents this using newly available primary sources. The project thus examines the production of nuclear knowledge. It is also the first empirical study of the effects of the conflict of interest in funding of the most influential think tanks on their production of nuclear discourse. It also shows how the effects of nuclear policies on climate change are obscured in the imagined futures. The project re-characterizes the determinants of horizontal proliferation and establishes the lack of consensus in public opinion on nuclear policies in France and the United Kingdom”.

Professor Benoît Pelopidas is Associate Professor of Political Sciences at Sciences Po, Paris. He is the Principal Investigator of the ERC project NUCLEAR.

The NUCLEAR project has already produced in 25 peer-reviewed publications, including the monograph Rethinking Nuclear Choices published by the Presses de Sciences Po in 2022.

REFERENCES

  • Egeland, K., & Pelopidas, B. (2022). “No such thing as a free donation? Research funding and conflicts of interest in nuclear weapons policy analysis”. International Relations.
  • Pelopidas, B. & Verschuren, Sanne C. J. (2023). “Writing IR after COVID-19. Reassessing political possibilities, good faith and policy relevant scholarship on climate change mitigation and nuclear disarmament”. Global Studies Quarterly (early view).
  • Pelopidas, B., Taha, H. & Vaughan, T., (2024).“How dawn turned into dusk: Scoping and closing possible nuclear futures at the end of the Cold War”. Journal of Strategic Studies.
  • Podcast: Nuclear Proliferation, Close Calls, and Luck. Vis a vis. Alliance Program at Columbia University. 09/20/2022.
    https://visavis.podcasts.library.columbia.edu/podcast/nuclear-risks-and-our-false-confidence/
  • Video lecture summarizing the key findings of the project. Scoping Nuclear Weapons Choices in an Age of Existential Threats. Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge. 06/14/2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP0N6B1moRU

Facing Nuclear Vulnerabilities. Cogito. 04/16/2023.