EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament eLearning Course

Learning Units

01 Arms Control basics

For several decades, arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament have played a key role in many states’ security and foreign policies. This learning unit provides a general introduction to the ...

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LU 01: Arms Control basics

For several decades, arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament have played a key role in many states’ security and foreign policies. This learning unit provides a general introduction to the field and explains how arms control can help to promote international peace and security.

Authors

Christopher Daase

Christopher Daase is Professor of International Relations at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, and Deputy Director of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) where he heads the research department on “International Security”. His research and teaching focuses on security policy (especially wars and civil wars, terrorism and radicalization, non-proliferation and arms control) as well as international institutions. Dr. Daase studied political science, literature, philosophy and art history in Hamburg, Freiburg and Berlin and conducted doctoral research as a SSRC-MacArthur Fellow in International Peace and Security at Harvard University and the RAND Corporation. In 1996 he received his doctorate from the FU Berlin with a thesis on unconventional warfare. He is co-founder of the Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA), and member of the Executive Board of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. Dr. Daase has published several books and numerous articles in international journals and was editor of the leading German international relations journal for more than ten years. Since 2022 he is member of the Advisory Board on Education and Outreach of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Frank Kuhn

Frank Kuhn is a Doctoral Researcher at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Germany. His research interests include arms control and nonproliferation, nuclear deterrence, military technology, and military strategy. In his dissertation, he explores the motives of high-level U.S. decisionmakers to engage in strategic arms reductions talks with the Soviet Union and Russia. Frank Kuhn is also the Project Coordinator for the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR) at PRIF, which analyzes emerging technologies and developments in the natural and technical sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. He holds an M.A. in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt and Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, and a B.A. in Political Science, also from Goethe University Frankfurt. Frank Kuhn is member of the Young Deep Cuts Commissionand a 2025 Nuclear Scholar of the Project for Nuclear Issues (PONI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.

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02 Chemical Weapons

Chemical weapons (CW) are among the most gruesome means of warfare humans ever invented. This learning unit introduces CW and their effects, reviews the evolution of the norm against chemical ...

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LU 02: Chemical Weapons
Chemical weapons (CW) are among the most gruesome means of warfare humans ever invented. This learning unit introduces CW and their effects, reviews the evolution of the norm against chemical weapons until the present day, and assesses the feasibility of a world without chemical weapons in the 21st century.

After completing this learning unit, you will

understand the nature of chemical weapons and their effects on humans, animals and the environment.

understand the technical foundations of CW.

be familiar with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and other relevant international treaties

understand the current nature of the CW challenge, including

dual-use issues relating to civilian research, development and production activities

legitimate and illegitimate uses of irritants (e.g., riot control agents)

terrorism,

chemical security and safety.

have an overview of EU policies in support of the CWC and the norm against CW.

have background knowledge on CW use in Syria and the international response to a major violation of the norm against CW.

Author: Jean Pascal Zanders

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03 Biological Weapons

The Ebola crisis in West Africa (2014-16) reminded us of the challenge to contain and manage pandemic diseases in a globalised and interconnected world. Although the Ebola outbreak was a naturally ...

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LU 03: Biological Weapons
The Ebola crisis in West Africa (2014-16) reminded us of the challenge to contain and manage pandemic diseases in a globalised and interconnected world. Although the Ebola outbreak was a naturally occurring epidemic, terrorist organisations or States could create 'man-made' pandemics in the form of biological weapons (BW) in the future.

This learning unit addresses the challenges to prevent acts of bio-warfare and of bio-terrorism in an era of rapid advances and diffusion of sensitive biotechnologies.

After completing this learning unit, you will

understand the technical foundations of BW.

have an overview of historical BW programmes.

comprehend the nature of bioterrorism.

be familiar with the political context of biological weapons.

have better knowledge of the international legal framework aimed at prohibiting the possession and use of BW.
Author: Filippa Lentzos

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04 Nuclear Weapons I

Understanding nuclear proliferation requires insights into technical aspects of nuclear weapons, the size of global nuclear weapons stockpiles, former and current nuclear arms control treaties, ...

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LU 04: Nuclear Weapons I
Understanding nuclear proliferation requires insights into technical aspects of nuclear weapons, the size of global nuclear weapons stockpiles, former and current nuclear arms control treaties, and the rationales for nuclear testing.

After completing this learning unit, you will

understand the technical basics of nuclear weapons.

comprehend the dual use dimension of the nuclear fuel cycle.

know the effects of nuclear weapons.

have an overview of global stockpiles of nuclear weapons and materials.

be familiar with the history of bilateral nuclear arms control

understand the rationale of nuclear testing.

get an overview of international attempts to ban nuclear testing.

be able to assess the EU position on curbing fissile material production and nuclear testing.
Authors: Marco Fey & Giorgio Franceschini

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05 Nuclear Weapons II

The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the single most important treaty covering nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. This learning unit introduces the NPT and discusses ...

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LU 05: Nuclear Weapons II
The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the single most important treaty covering nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. This learning unit introduces the NPT and discusses its political, legal and historical dimensions.

After completing this learning unit, you will

understand the origins, history, rationale and functioning of the NPT.

know the requirements/basic undertakings of the treaty under its three pillars (disarmament, non-proliferation, peaceful uses).

identify the main challenges within the NPT: universality, withdrawal, compliance, enforcement, transparency, WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East.

comprehend the relation between the NPT and other international legal instruments on disarmament and non-proliferation.

get an overview over the IAEA and EURATOM safeguards and verification systems and the legal framework.

understand the dynamics and main trends of the peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

be able to distinguish the concepts nuclear security and nuclear safety, as well as the different tools and legal instruments of each one.

be capable of assessing the EU’s position on the NPT, the IAEA’s safeguards system, nuclear security and nuclear safety.
Authors: Vicente Garrido Rebolledo & Roberta Mulas

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06 WMD-free Zones

While the world wrestles with the idea of a world free of nuclear weapons, some regions are already a step ahead. The whole southern hemisphere is a nuclear weapon-free zone (NWFZ) and also in the ...

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LU 06: WMD-free Zones
While the world wrestles with the idea of a world free of nuclear weapons, some regions are already a step ahead. The whole southern hemisphere is a nuclear weapon-free zone (NWFZ) and also in the northern hemisphere such zones are being created. This learning unit focusses on NWFZ and the idea of broadening such zones both geographically and in relation to other weapons of mass destruction.

After completing this unit, the you will

understand the concept of NWFZ and WMDFZ.

comprehend the legal basis and the structure of these zones.

have an overview of the history of their development.

know the rationale of their establishment.

understand the role of external actors and the negative security assurances that Nuclear Weapon States are expected to provide.

be capable of assessing the EU's position on NWFZ in general and the Middle East WMDFZ in particular.

Authors: Anna Péczeli & Erzsébet Rózsa

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07 CBRN Terrorism

Until the present day a large-scale terrorist attack carried out with weapons of mass destruction has not occurred, but it is often seen as (almost) inevitable and only a matter of time. This ...

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LU 07: CBRN Terrorism
Until the present day a large-scale terrorist attack carried out with weapons of mass destruction has not occurred, but it is often seen as (almost) inevitable and only a matter of time. This learning unit offers a sober discussion of the risks of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) terrorism in the 21st century.

After completing this unit, you will

know a basic definition of terrorism.

understand why there is increasing concern over CBRN terrorism.

have knowledge on cases of attempted or realized acts of CBRN terrorism.

be familiar with CBRN security concepts and measures.

Authors

Wyn Bowen

Wyn Bowen is Professor of Non-Proliferation and International Security, King’s College London, and Head of the School of Security Studies. He has written widely on CBRN related issues including books on Libya’s nuclear programme (2006), the G8 Global Partnership Against WMD (2012) and Iranian nuclear behaviour (2016). He has served as a missile inspector in Iraq with the UN Special Commission (1997-98), as a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and as a Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on CBRN related issues.

Christopher Hobbs

Christopher Hobbs is Co-Director of the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) and a Reader within the Department of War Studies at King's College London. A physicist by background he works on nuclear security, non-proliferation and intelligence issues. His current research interests include insider threat mitigation, maritime security and applied security culture. He is project lead for UK Government’s Global Threat Reduction Programme (GTRP) work stream on Nuclear Security Culture and has served as a subject matter expert on multiple IAEA training courses. He is a former Chair of the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN).
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08 Missiles And Space

In recent years space has become ever more important for both commercial and military applications. Some experts assume that the next major war will actually start in space. Given the importance of...

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LU 08: Missiles And Space
In recent years space has become ever more important for both commercial and military applications. Some experts assume that the next major war will actually start in space. Given the importance of space as a potential battleground, this learning unit introduces the technical, historical, political and legal dimensions of space security, delivery vehicles, and missile defence.

After completing this unit, you will

understand the role and technical aspects of delivery vehicles.

be aware of major international regimes associated with delivery vehicles.

understand the purpose of missile defence and missile defence deployment plans in Europe.

be familiar with key issues relevant to the security of outer space activities, comprehend the multi-year EU diplomatic efforts to advance long-term safety, security, and sustainability of outer space activities.

Authors: Jana Robinson & Michael Romancov

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09 Humanitarian Arms Control I

After the Cold War, a new discourse on arms control and disarmament emerged driven, in part, by the severe humanitarian impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war on people’s lives and ...

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LU 09: Humanitarian Arms Control I
After the Cold War, a new discourse on arms control and disarmament emerged driven, in part, by the severe humanitarian impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war on people’s lives and livelihoods. Security was no longer conceived exclusively in terms of military threats to the state, but as freedom from violence for individuals and groups. This learning unit elaborates on how the paradigm shift from national to human security furthered ‘humanitarian disarmament’ initiatives and explores the political processes that successfully outlawed anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.

After completing this unit, you will

be able to describe the humanitarian impacts of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.

recall the diplomatic processes that led to their prohibition, including the role of the EU in these processes.

be able to restate the main international humanitarian law (IHL) rules governing the regulation of weapons from a humanitarian perspective.

know key elements of the Ottawa and Oslo treaties and ongoing challenges in their implementation.

recognize key characteristics of a humanitarian disarmament approach.

be able to apply a humanitarian disarmament lens to contemporary disarmament debates, including nuclear disarmament.

Author: Maya Brehm

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10 Humanitarian Arms Control II

Small arms and light weapons (SALW) are responsible for the majority of violent deaths world-wide. Some critics argue that its SALW which are the real weapons of mass destruction. This learning ...

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LU 10: Humanitarian Arms Control II
Small arms and light weapons (SALW) are responsible for the majority of violent deaths world-wide. Some critics argue that its SALW which are the real weapons of mass destruction. This learning unit continues debating humanitarian arms control with the exclusive focus on the issue of SALW and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

After completing this unit, you will

have a better insight into the issue of illicit SALW proliferation.

know the main elements of the most important international policy instruments that were developed at UN and EU level to control the proliferation of SALW.

have knowledge on the objectives, scope and content of the ATT and on the challenges with the development and implementation of policy instruments to combat the illicit proliferation of SALW.

Author: Nils Duquet

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11 Arms Control In Europe

When it comes to the control of conventional weapons, Europe has an impressive track record of treaties restricting conventional weapons and fostering transparency and confidence. This learning ...

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LU 11: Arms Control In Europe
When it comes to the control of conventional weapons, Europe has an impressive track record of treaties restricting conventional weapons and fostering transparency and confidence. This learning unit explores these regimes which were developed during the Cold War to reduce the likelihood of surprise attacks and debates their value in times marked by new tensions.

After completing this unit, you will

understand the origins and rationale of arms control in Europe

be able to describe the purpose and functioning of the CFE Treaty, Open Skies Treaty, and Vienna Document

know the difference between strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNW), understand NATO nuclear sharing and Russian approach to TNW

be familiar with the challenges of bringing NSNW under an arms control/confidence-building framework

understand the role played by the OSCE, the EU and other organizations in the European arms control system

be able to identify and discuss the main challenges to arms control in Europe, including the effects of the Ukrainian crisis

Authors: Lukasz Kulesa & Jacek Durkalec

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12 Export Controls

For many states, the licit export of armaments is a lucrative endeavor. In order to guarantee that only licit transfers take place, states have export control measures in place. But how do they ...

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LU 12: Export Controls
For many states, the licit export of armaments is a lucrative endeavor. In order to guarantee that only licit transfers take place, states have export control measures in place. But how do they work and what kind of restrictions apply? Can controls prevent the transfer of weapons and ammunition to criminal networks or terrorists? Can they disrupt the acquisition path of a country developing weapons of mass destruction?

After completing this unit, you will

be introduced to the issue of legal international arms trade and the rationale behind export controls.

be familiar with different levels of export controls and the various international export regimes and treaties covering different types of weapons or problematic goods.

have learned about European export controls in more detail, especially the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports and the EU Common Position on Exports of Conventional Arms.

know about the problem of “dual use” goods and how they complicate export controls.

understand future challenges and how they can be tackled.

Author: Elli Kytömäki

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13 Compliance And Enforcement

'Trust, but verify', was a famous slogan during the Cold War in the context of arms control. However, the question of how to verify that a state is honouring its commitments is (one of) the biggest...

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LU 13: Compliance And Enforcement
'Trust, but verify', was a famous slogan during the Cold War in the context of arms control. However, the question of how to verify that a state is honouring its commitments is (one of) the biggest problem facing arms control regimes. How can we be sure that a party to an arms control treaty is really reducing or eliminating a certain type of weapons? This learning unit aims at providing answers to these tricky questions.

After completing this unit, you will

understand the critical role of compliance, verification and enforcement in achieving non-proliferation and arms control objectives.

have an overview of how the different treaties approach verification.

comprehend why verification alone is not sufficient without enforcement.

know the enforcement role of the Security Council.

understand the rationale for applying sanctions.

have an overview of how various non-compliance cases have been addressed.

be capable of assessing ideas for strengthening compliance.

grasp the potential of societal verification.

Authors: Mark Fitzpatrick & Paulina Izewicz

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14 EU Disarmament And Non-Proliferation

The European Union’s engagement with matters of non-proliferation and disarmament is multi-faceted and not always easy to grasp. This learning unit will navigate through the complex institutional ...

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LU 14: EU Disarmament And Non-Proliferation
The European Union’s engagement with matters of non-proliferation and disarmament is multi-faceted and not always easy to grasp. This learning unit will navigate through the complex institutional and political history of the European Union, its first approaches to a Common Foreign and Security Policy, and its growing involvement in global non-proliferation and disarmament affairs.

After completing this unit, you will

have explored the stand of the EU in arms control and non-proliferation.

understand key EU institutions involved in WMD non-proliferation and the division of labour between them.

have knowledge of the EU Strategy of WMD non-proliferation and the EU SALW Strategy.

have an overview of the background to EU arms control policies, both in terms of internal dynamics and as reactions to world events.

be aware of some of the challenges for the EU in consolidating its arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation policies in its overall institutional and policy frameworks.

Author: Lina Grip

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15 Emerging Technologies

The military always aims at making use of technological progress. This can entail new weapon systems, new concepts or doctrines, or even entirely new domains of operation such as space or ...

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LU 15: Emerging Technologies
The military always aims at making use of technological progress. This can entail new weapon systems, new concepts or doctrines, or even entirely new domains of operation such as space or cyberspace. Currently, many technologies which were regarded as mere science fiction only a few years ago are about to enter the battlefield. This learning unit looks at recent developments, identifies key emerging technologies and discusses the problems and challenges they pose for security, peace and arms control.

After completing this unit, you will

have an overview over several emerging technologies and their military applications.

know the state of proliferation with regard to unmanned weapon systems and the trend toward more autonomy in them.

be familiar with hypersonic glide vehicles and the military use of nanotechnology.

be able to assess the challenges involved with cyber security as well as the growing demand for non-lethal weapons.

understand the challenges of the 21st century due to the dual-use problem and the need for qualitative rather than quantitative arms control.

Authors: Frank Sauer & Niklas Schörnig

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16 Gender

While the link between gender and disarmament may not be apparent at first, gender has played an important role in disarmament affairs since the early 20th century. The learning unit will ...

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LU 16: Gender
While the link between gender and disarmament may not be apparent at first, gender has played an important role in disarmament affairs since the early 20th century. The learning unit will start by exploring the importance of gender mainstreaming and highlight historic examples of women's movements. The module will then examine the UN Framework on gender and disarmament, key treaties, conventions, and action plans, as well as the idea behind a feminist foreign policy and positions and actions of the EU.

After completing this unit, you will

understand gender concepts, such as gender norms, gender identity and gender mainstreaming,
recognize the unique impact of conflict on woman as well as their role in preventing conflict,
be familiar with key resolutions, treaties and action plans that include gendered aspects in the peace and security discussion,
gain awareness of initiatives and policies being pursued to enhance the role of women in peace and security,
learn of the work of the European Union on gender mainstreaming and key actors involved in its implementation.

Author

Mara Zarka

Mara Zarka is Project/Events Manager and Research Associate at the VCDNP. Mara is responsible for the management and coordination of the VCDNP’s projects under the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. She also serves as the Center’s Gender Champion Focal Point. Her research interests include export controls, IAEA safeguards and verification, non proliferation and arms control.
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17 Disarmament Law

International non-proliferation and disarmament law forms part of international law and constitutes one of international law’s many sub-regimes. It addresses very specific issues of major ...

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LU 17: Disarmament Law
International non-proliferation and disarmament law forms part of international law and constitutes one of international law’s many sub-regimes. It addresses very specific issues of major significance. However, the founding and functioning principles of non-proliferation and disarmament law are aligned with those of international law.
This learning unit addresses the importance of international law for non-proliferation and disarmament and delves into related areas such as treaty law, the law on the use of force and international human rights law. The learning unit also looks into the state, where national implementation of international non-proliferation and disarmament law is needed in order to carry out international obligations and where national enforcement needs to be undertaken through national authorities, inspections, investigations and court cases. Finally, the learning unit addresses the EU’s legal order on non-proliferation and disarmament.
All these topics are illustrated with numerous examples, appealing to those both with and without a legal background.
After completing the unit, you will:
understand the relevance of international law in non-proliferation and disarmament
be familiar with key concepts, such as accession, ratification and “pacta sunt servanda”
know the difference between legally binding and non-binding instruments
understand how international non-proliferation and disarmament law is implemented through national law
learn how both international and national law can be enforced at the national level
recognise EU law as a subset of international law on non-proliferation and disarmament

Authors: Yasemin Balci and Sonia Drobysz

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18 UN Disarmament Machinery

Humankind has always been perturbed by the use of particularly cruel means of war. As a result, a number of actions have been taken to restrict such use. The establishment of the United Nations ...

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LU 18: UN Disarmament Machinery
Humankind has always been perturbed by the use of particularly cruel means of war. As a result, a number of actions have been taken to restrict such use. The establishment of the United Nations Disarmament Machinery is definitely one step in this direction.

As a key proponent of disarmament since its creation, the UN has over the years heavily and naturally contributed to the definition of the disarmament architecture, pursuing two main goals: first, the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. And second, the regulation of conventional arms, particularly the illicit traffic of small arms and light weapons.

In this learning unit, you will learn about the work and the efforts of the United Nations Disarmament Machinery in promoting arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament.

After completing this learning unit, you will:

be familiarized with the basic concept of disarmament and its objectives from the United Nations perspective

understand the role that the United Nations plays in promoting non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament

be introduced to the UN’s institutional framework, the main bodies and the main instruments pursing disarmament goals

comprehend the importance of cooperation in disarmament efforts

understand the interplay between the UN and the European Union in achieving arms control and disarmament objectives

Author: Federica Dall’Arche

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19 Cyberconflict and Cyberstrategy

Hardly a day passes without bad news from the cyber sector: Cyberattacks against state and military institutions are now almost the norm, and private individuals must be enormously wary of phishing...

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LU 19: Cyberconflict and Cyberstrategy
Hardly a day passes without bad news from the cyber sector: Cyberattacks against state and military institutions are now almost the norm, and private individuals must be enormously wary of phishing or encryption attacks. The internet, labelled by Chancellor Merkel in 2013 as “uncharted territory”, seems to have become a conflict zone where malevolent state and non-state actors are up to mischief. The press therefore often indulges in hyperbole about “cyberwars” or “cyberattacks”. On the other hand, the worst fears of a cyber-Pearl Harbour have (so far?) not materialized. So where do we stand at the moment?

In this learning unit we try to distinguish between the different levels of cyber threats by looking at different actors capable of aggressive cyber operations. We also look at the international legal framework and the options available to make cyberspace more secure – both at the state and civilian level. After completing this learning unit, you will:

be familiarized with the basic concepts of different cyber incidents

understand why the cyber realm is no lawless territory from the perspective of international law

be introduced to different state and non-state actors which might, or might not, pose a threat to cybersecurity

comprehend limits and possibilities of arms control and disarmament in the cyber realm

understand the specific EU policy on cybersecurity

Authors: Niklas Schörnig and Tommaso De Zan

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20 Arms Control History

This learning unit aims to provide a brief history of arms control in a classical chronological order, focusing primarily on the West, from antiquity to the present. In doing so, it postulates that...

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LU 20: Arms Control History

This learning unit aims to provide a brief history of arms control in a classical chronological order, focusing primarily on the West, from antiquity to the present. In doing so, it postulates that arms control may be considered a relevant discipline from that time, along a more or less continuous chronological line. In reality, there is nothing obvious about these assumptions. In the strictest sense, it could be argued that arms control as a discipline emerged in the 1950s in the context of the bilateral US–USSR strategic relationship, within the very specific framework of the bilateral nuclear deterrence dialogue in a very dated context of ideological and strategic bipolarization of the world. This is why the very question of what is arms control is posed as such in the introduction to this module, and must feed into the unfolding of a long history.

To be fair, it would be appropriate to elaborate on this point by warning that this course is intended to illustrate the various ways in which the West, in particular, has approached the question of the volume of violence in military affairs, between human communities which become essentially interstate from the moment the modern state is born.

Naturally, because the discipline is structured in the second half of the twentieth century, this course focuses on shorter periods and makes the subject more dense. The aim is to detail the different phases that led to a multiplication of initiatives at the end of the last century, to the point where arms control became near synonymous with international security.

At the time of writing, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for three weeks. This historic event, likely one of the foundational events of the present century, will leave its mark on the contemporary history of arms control in a way that is still too early to define. Though it reminds us that the historical evolution of war itself has always been accompanied by attempts to limit its effects, whatever the method. The history of arms control is the reverse side of a history of war between peoples.

Author: Benjamin Hautecouverture

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Contributors

Nils Duquet

Nils Duquet (Belgium) is senior researcher at the Flemish Peace Institute. Since 2006 he has undertaken and coordinated numerous studies on conventional arms and dual-use export controls, domestic gun policy and illicit firearms trafficking in Europe and abroad.
Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick is Executive Director of IISS-US and Director of the Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Programme. He is the author of "Asia’s Threshold Nuclear Powers: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan" (February 2016); "Overcoming Pakistan’s Nuclear Dangers" (2014) and "The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: Avoiding worst-case outcomes" (2008). He is the editor of six IISS Strategic Dossiers on countries and regions of proliferation concern, including "Nuclear Black Markets: Pakistan, A.Q. Khan and the rise of proliferation networks" (2007). He has lectured throughout the world and is a frequent media commentator. Prior to joining the IISS, Mark had a 26-year career with the US Department of State, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Non-Proliferation (acting).
Jana Robinson

Jana Robinson is Space Security Program Director at the Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI). She previously served as a Space Policy Officer at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels as well as a Space Security Advisor to the Czech Foreign Ministry. From 2009 to 2013, Ms. Robinson worked at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), seconded from the European Space Agency (ESA). Ms. Robinson is an elected member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the George C. Marshall Missile Defense Project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. Ms. Robinson holds a PhD from the Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies.
Giorgio Franceschini

Giorgio Franceschini leads the Foreign and Security Policy Division at the Heinrich-Böll Foundation, Berlin. Previously, he was a Research Associate at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) with a research focus on nuclear arms control with a special emphasis on technical aspects of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
Erzsébet Rózsa

Erzsébet N. Rózsa is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for World Economics (Hungarian Academy of Sciences), and a Professor at the National University of Public Service. She was a visiting fellow at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and the EU Institute for Security Studies. With an MA in Semitic/Arabic Studies, in Iranian Studies as well as English Studies, she received her PhD degree (International Relations) from the Corvinus University. She has been working on nuclear non-proliferations issues as well as the political, social and security processes of the Middle East, including the Iranian nuclear program.
Łukasz Kulesa

Łukasz Kulesa is a Researcher at the Warsaw-based Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). His research interests include: nuclear and conventional deterrence and arms control, NATO and Russian security policies, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, security aspects of the transatlantic relationship. Between 2014 and 2019 Łukasz worked as Research Director at the European Leadership Network (ELN), a London-based, non-partisan, non-profit organization which works to develop collaborative European capacity to address foreign and security policy challenges. Łukasz authored or co-authored a number of publications including most recently: Towards a more stable NATO-Russia relationship (2019), Challenges and opportunities for deterrence and arms control in the Baltic Sea area (2018); Russia-West Incidents in the Air and at Sea 2016-2017 (2018), The Future of Conventional Arms Control in Europe (Survival, 2018). In 2010–2012 he was Deputy Director of the Strategic Analyses Department at the National Security Bureau, a body providing support to the President of Poland in executing security and defence tasks.
Jean Pascal Zanders

Jean Pascal Zanders heads The Trench, a research initiative dedicated to the future of disarmament. He was Leader of the Chemical and Biological Warfare Project at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (1996–2003), Director of the Geneva-based BioWeapons Prevention Project (2003–08), and Senior Research Fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (2008–13). His research focusses on the long-term future of the BTWC and CWC and CBW disarmament in the Middle East. He currently chairs the OPCW Advisory Board on Education and Outreach (ABEO).
Michael Romancov

Michael Romancov is head of Geopolitical Studies Program (GPS) at Institute of Political Studies at Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. He is a senior lecturer at Institute of Political Studies and at Metropolitan University Prague, his specialization is political geography, geopolitics and Russia. Mr. Romancov cooperates with Czech printed and electronic media, frequently comments on international relations for Czech and Slovak TV and radio. He holds a PhD from the Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies.
Frank Sauer

Frank Sauer is a Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer at Bundeswehr University in Munich. He received his doctoral degree from Goethe University Frankfurt and has a background in political science, philosophy, sociology and international law. His work focuses on international security, including nuclear issues, terrorism, cybersecurity and the role of technology in the modern military, especially regarding unmanned and autonomous weapon systems. Dr. Sauer is the author of "Atomic Anxiety: Deterrence, Taboo, and the Non-Use of U.S. Nuclear Weapons". He was associate editor of "Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen" (ZIB), Germany's leading International Relations journal and is co-editor of the German Handbook of International Relations. He is a member of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC).
Lina Grip

Lina Grip is a Researcher at the European Security Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) since 2011. She has published extensively on EU non-proliferation policies and coordinated the non-proliferation paper series for the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium 2011-2017. She has a Master Degree in International Relations from Stockholm University.
Wyn Bowen
Wyn Bowen is Professor of Non-Proliferation and International Security, King’s College London, and Head of the School of Security Studies. He has written widely on CBRN related issues including books on Libya’s nuclear programme (2006), the G8 Global Partnership Against WMD (2012) and Iranian nuclear behaviour (2016). He has served as a missile inspector in Iraq with the UN Special Commission (1997-98), as a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and as a Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on CBRN related issues.

Learning Unit

LU 07: CBRN Terrorism
Maya Brehm

Maya Brehm is an advisor with Article 36 and works as a consultant in the field of international law and disarmament. Previously, Maya Brehm was the lead researcher in weapons law at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and a lecturer at the Geneva Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action. Previously, Maya Brehm led a research project on the protection of civilians from the effects of explosive weapons at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and worked as a protection delegate with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Roberta Mulas

Roberta Mulas is an adjunct lecturer at LUISS University (Italy) and holds a PhD in international politics from the University of Warwick (UK) and LUISS through the EU GEM joint doctoral program. Her research interests are the global disarmament movement, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Middle Eastern security. She previously worked at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), at the United Nations University institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) and at the Italian Permanent Mission at the United Nations in New York. She did her studies at the University of Bologna (Italy) as well as at UCLA (U.S.) and in Spain.
Filippa Lentzos

Filippa Lentzos, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine at King’s College London. She originally trained in human sciences before switching to sociology, and spent the first ten years of her career at the London School of Economics and Political Science, before joining King’s in 2012. Lentzos specializes in the security and governance of emerging technologies in the life sciences susceptible to misuse, including synthetic biology, genome editing and potentially pandemic pathogens. Her most recent book, Biological Threats in the 21st Century, was published by Imperial College Press in 2016.
Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs is Co-Director of the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) and a Reader within the Department of War Studies at King's College London. A physicist by background he works on nuclear security, non-proliferation and intelligence issues. His current research interests include insider threat mitigation, maritime security and applied security culture. He is project lead for UK Government’s Global Threat Reduction Programme (GTRP) work stream on Nuclear Security Culture and has served as a subject matter expert on multiple IAEA training courses. He is a former Chair of the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN).

Learning Unit

LU 07: CBRN Terrorism
Harald Müller

Harald Müller received his Ph.D. from Goethe University Frankfurt, is Executive Director (ret.) of Peace Research Institute Frankfurt which he led 1996-2015, and Professor emeritus for International Relations at Goethe University Frankfurt where he taught 1999-2016. He served on the German Delegation for all NPT Review Conferences 1995-2015, on the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board for Disarmament as member (1999-2005) and as chair (2004), and as Vice-president of the EU Consortium for Non-proliferation and Disarmament (2011-2016).
Elli Kytömäki

Elli Kytömäki is an independent policy analyst and researcher working on disarmament and arms control issues, most notably related to conventional arms transfer controls and nuclear non-proliferation. She is also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House (UK) and a member of Finnish peace and security think-tank SaferGlobe. Prior to establishing her own consultancy, in 2009-2012 Ms. Kytömäki was the Project Manager at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) for two projects funded by the EU to support the Arms Trade Treaty negotiations. Before assuming the responsibility for these projects at UNIDIR, Ms. Kytömäki worked as a Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) Support Officer at the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna. Ms. Kytömäki worked at UNIDIR also in 2003-2006, specializing in small arms and explosive remnants of war. During her career, Ms. Kytömäki has additionally worked at the research institute Small Arms Survey, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN Conference on Disarmament. Ms. Kytömäki has authored several articles and papers on arms transfer controls and nuclear policy and eagerly follows international developments in these areas.
Niklas Schörnig

Niklas Schörnig has been a senior research fellow with the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Germany, since 2005. Prior to joining PRIF as a research fellow, Dr. Schörnig was a Ph.D. candidate at PRIF and wrote his dissertation on American defense industrial policy during the 1990s. He received his Ph.D. (summa cum laude) from Goethe-University, Frankfurt, in 2005. Since 2005 he has been a regular visiting lecturer at Goethe-University, Frankfurt. In 2012 he received the “Best Article Award 2006-2011” of the German Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen (Journal of International Relations). His current research at PRIF focuses, inter alia, on current trends in warfare, military robotics, military missions of Western democracies and Australian foreign and security policy. His most recent publications include inter alia: “Killer Drones – The Silver Bullet of Democratic Warfare?” In: Security Dialogue, 2012, 43: 4, 353-370 (with Frank Sauer); “The Militant Face of Democracy. Liberal Forces for Good“, Cambridge University Press, 2013 (Editor, with Anna Geis and Harald Müller); and „Automatisierte Kriegsführung – Wie viel Entscheidungsraum bleibt dem Menschen?“ [Automated Warfare – what is left for the human to decide?] In: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, 2014: 35-37, 27-34.
Jacek Durkalec

Jacek Durkalec is a Research Analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). He has been working at PISM since July 2010, focusing on NATO's deterrence and defence policy, nuclear and conventional arms control, missile defence, and WMD non-proliferation issues. Before joining PISM, he was a staff member in the Missile Defence Office of the Polish Ministry of National Defence from February 2009 to June 2010. His work experience also includes an internship from July to September 2008 in the Strategic Planning Unit of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Jacek’s publications include: Nuclear-Backed “Little Green Men:” Nuclear Messaging in the Ukraine Crisis (Polish Institute of International Affairs, 2015); Options for Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures Related to Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Cost-Benefit Matrix (Polish Institute of International Affairs, 2014, co-authored with A. Zagorski); The Role of Missile Defence in NATO Deterrence (in: Regional Approaches to the role of Missile Defence in Reducing Nuclear Threats, Polish Institute of International Affairs, 2013); and Rethinking conventional arms control in Europe: A transparency-centred approach (Polish Institute of International Affairs, 2013).
Anna Péczeli

Anna Péczeli is a Visiting Research Scholar at The Europe Center at Stanford University, and an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Strategic and Defence Studies (CSDS) in Hungary. Previously, she was a Senior Research Fellow at CSDS, and a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. Before these positions, she was an assistant lecturer at Corvinus University of Budapest, an adjunct fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, a visiting research fellow at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, and a visiting Fulbright fellow at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington, DC. She earned a Ph.D. degree in International Relations from Corvinus University of Budapest, and her research focused on the Obama administration’s nuclear strategy.
Marco Fey

Marco Fey is a desk officer at Germany's Federal Ministry of Defense. Previously, he was a Research Associate at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), where his research was focused on strategic arms control with a special emphasis on missile defence, emerging technologies and their effects on strategic stability.
Vicente Garrido Rebolledo

Professor of International Relations and Security Studies at the King Juan Carlos University, since 1999. General Director (since 2002) of the International Affairs and Foreign Policy Institute (INCIPE), Madrid (Spain), member of the network the EU Non-Proliferation Consortium. Professor Garrido has specialised in non-proliferation and arms control issues for over 25 years, with more than 200 articles and 20 books published, as main author and/or editor. Senior Adviser on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Member of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters of the United Nations Secretary General and member of UNIDIR Board of Trustees.
Paulina Izewicz

Paulina Izewicz is Research Associate at the Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Programme. She manages the programme’s work focused on Iran and the Middle East, in addition to providing research and analysis in her other areas of expertise: deterrence and disarmament, sanctions policy and strategic trade. Prior to joining the IISS, she worked at the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, DC, where she analysed the technical aspects of Iran's nuclear programme and conducted research into global stockpiles of fissile materials.
Marjolijn van Deelen

Marjolijn van Deelen is the EU Special Envoy for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.
Mara Zarka
Mara Zarka is Project/Events Manager and Research Associate at the VCDNP. Mara is responsible for the management and coordination of the VCDNP’s projects under the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. She also serves as the Center’s Gender Champion Focal Point. Her research interests include export controls, IAEA safeguards and verification, non proliferation and arms control.

Learning Unit

LU 16: Gender
Sonia Drobysz

Sonia Drobysz is Programme Director for VERTIC’s National Implementation Measures programme, where she has been working since 2013 and where she oversees the development and implementation of global projects on the legislative implementation of obligations arising from international instruments for the non-proliferation of CBRN weapons and the security of related materials. She holds a PhD in international law from University Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne.
Yasemin Balci

Yasemin Balci is a Senior Legal Officer for VERTIC’s National Implementation Measures Programme. She manages and implements projects on the legislative implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological Weapons Convention, UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and agreements related to nuclear security. Yasemin holds an LLM in international law from the University of Cambridge.
Federica Dall’Arche

Federica Dall’Arche is a policy advisor to the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers and a researcher at the International Affairs Institute (Istituto Affari Internazionali, IAI). Her focus is on non-proliferation and disarmament, and on gender in international security. She graduated summa cum laude in political science at the University of Roma Tre and won a full merit scholarship for an exchange programme at the Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Federica obtained her Master’s degree in Non-Proliferation and Terrorism Studies and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), California. In 2014, she won the Michiel Brandt Memorial Prize for best MIIS paper on Human Trafficking and conducted an internship at the Asian-Pacific Center for Security Studies, a US Department of Defense academic institute. She was later the recipient of the United Nations Security Council Monitor Fellowship at the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and of the Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Security Fellowship at the Pacific Forum - Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). During her career she has also worked at Deloitte UK, as a graduate research assistant at the James Martin Center for Non-Proliferation Studies (CNS), at the William Tell Coleman Library, and as a freelance collaborator for the online magazine Geopolitica.info. While in school, to support her studies, she has also worked in several restaurants, as dog sitter, as baby sitter, as an Italian teacher (when living abroad) and as English Teacher (when living in Italy).
Tommaso De Zan

Tommaso is a PhD student in cybersecurity at the University of Oxford, where he is investigating policies to mitigate the cybersecurity skills shortage. He regularly collaborates with the European Union Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) as a CEI expert on topics related to cybersecurity skills development in the EU. Prior to his PhD, he was an Associate Fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies, a Researcher at the International Affairs Institute and an intern at the International Peace Research Institute in Geneva. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Bologna and he was an exchange student at the Hertie School, Josef Korbel School of International Studies and Université catholique de Louvain.
Benjamin Hautecouverture

Benjamin Hautecouverture is a Senior research fellow for arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament issues at the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique (FRS), Paris, France. He is the Technical Director of the EU Partner to Partner programme of the European Union for the implementation and universalisation of the Arms Trade Treaty, at Expertise France. He is a senior fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, in Ottawa, and was formerly a lecturer at Sciences Po and the Ecole Polytechnique, both in Paris. For two decades, his areas of focus have included the study of strategic relations between states; nuclear deterrence; non-proliferation and disarmament in the field of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons; the nuclear proliferation phenomenon and nuclear proliferation crises; and the North-East Asian strategic landscape with a focus on the North Korea nuclear and ballistic issues. He continues to work on nuclear security, the NPT review process, the chemical weapons prohibition regime, along with European Union security and defense challenges and prospects, including the various EU security strategies. He is the author of several books in collaboration: The Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime at a Crossroads (Palgrave MacMillan, 2014), WMD Arms Control in the Middle East: Prospects, Obstacles and Options (Routledge, 2015), among others. He regularly publishes articles on major international security issues. As of March 2022, his latest articles addressed the issue of European strategic autonomy, the future of strategic stability, strategic risk reduction, the NPT and the P5 process, nuclear security and terrorism, and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
Christopher Daase
Christopher Daase is Professor of International Relations at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, and Deputy Director of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) where he heads the research department on “International Security”. His research and teaching focuses on security policy (especially wars and civil wars, terrorism and radicalization, non-proliferation and arms control) as well as international institutions. Dr. Daase studied political science, literature, philosophy and art history in Hamburg, Freiburg and Berlin and conducted doctoral research as a SSRC-MacArthur Fellow in International Peace and Security at Harvard University and the RAND Corporation. In 1996 he received his doctorate from the FU Berlin with a thesis on unconventional warfare. He is co-founder of the Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA), and member of the Executive Board of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. Dr. Daase has published several books and numerous articles in international journals and was editor of the leading German international relations journal for more than ten years. Since 2022 he is member of the Advisory Board on Education and Outreach of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Learning Unit

LU 01: Arms Control basics
Frank Kuhn
Frank Kuhn is a Doctoral Researcher at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Germany. His research interests include arms control and nonproliferation, nuclear deterrence, military technology, and military strategy. In his dissertation, he explores the motives of high-level U.S. decisionmakers to engage in strategic arms reductions talks with the Soviet Union and Russia. Frank Kuhn is also the Project Coordinator for the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR) at PRIF, which analyzes emerging technologies and developments in the natural and technical sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. He holds an M.A. in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt and Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, and a B.A. in Political Science, also from Goethe University Frankfurt. Frank Kuhn is member of the Young Deep Cuts Commissionand a 2025 Nuclear Scholar of the Project for Nuclear Issues (PONI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.

Learning Unit

LU 01: Arms Control basics

Learning Units

01 Arms Control basics

LU 01: Arms Control basics

Authors

02 Chemical Weapons

LU 02: Chemical Weapons

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03 Biological Weapons

LU 03: Biological Weapons

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04 Nuclear Weapons I

LU 04: Nuclear Weapons I

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05 Nuclear Weapons II

LU 05: Nuclear Weapons II

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06 WMD-free Zones

LU 06: WMD-free Zones

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07 CBRN Terrorism

LU 07: CBRN Terrorism

Authors

08 Missiles And Space

LU 08: Missiles And Space

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09 Humanitarian Arms Control I

LU 09: Humanitarian Arms Control I

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10 Humanitarian Arms Control II

LU 10: Humanitarian Arms Control II

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11 Arms Control In Europe

LU 11: Arms Control In Europe

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12 Export Controls

LU 12: Export Controls

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13 Compliance And Enforcement

LU 13: Compliance And Enforcement

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14 EU Disarmament And Non-Proliferation

LU 14: EU Disarmament And Non-Proliferation

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15 Emerging Technologies

LU 15: Emerging Technologies

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16 Gender

LU 16: Gender

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17 Disarmament Law

LU 17: Disarmament Law

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18 UN Disarmament Machinery

LU 18: UN Disarmament Machinery

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19 Cyberconflict and Cyberstrategy

LU 19: Cyberconflict and Cyberstrategy

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20 Arms Control History

LU 20: Arms Control History

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