NUCME · The spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East: dangerous scenarios and nonproliferation policies

The spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East: dangerous scenarios and nonproliferation policies

For the past three years, the researcher has engaged in one of today's most critical and complex international issues: the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. He has worked on the issue in the world's leading training and research centers on nonproliferation studies, including the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), California, United States of America (USA), where he was based for the two years of the outgoing phase. Additionally, he spent three months at the Kennedy School of Government of the University of Harvard and three months at the American University of Cairo, Egypt, where he focused on specific parts of his research proposal. In this very rich and stimulating intellectual environment, the researcher has received advanced training in nonproliferation and successfully carried out his research work. He attended courses, workshops, conferences, simulations, and had access to the best datasets and library resources. He was able to get to know and interact with many world's leading experts in nonproliferation studies, who shared their knowledge with him and supervised parts of his work. The researcher has travelled extensively in the Middle East where he could meet and discuss his research work with regional experts, officials, diplomats and policy-makers. These missions were of crucial importance in terms of information gathering, research, networking and dissemination. As a result, the researcher has acquired advanced knowledge in most aspects of nonproliferation of nuclear weapons as well as other categories of weapons of mass destruction (biological, chemical and radiological) and their delivery systems (ballistic and cruise missiles). Special emphasis was placed both on the theoretical aspects of nonproliferation and its technical dimensions. Concerning the specific focus on the Middle East, he carried out important research work on nuclear proliferation trends in the Middle East, the Iranian and Libyan nuclear programs, nuclear terrorism, the European Union (EU)'s nonproliferation policy towards the Middle East and the proposal for establishing a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the region. The researcher has also addressed the issue of tactical nuclear weapons. Over the past three years, he has built a worldwide network of contacts with scholars and practitioners of the nonproliferation community. Thanks to the Marie Curie programme, the researcher has established himself as an expert in the field of nonproliferation and is well integrating in the world's community of nonproliferation studies. His writing and opinions have been presented and discussed in various high-level conferences and workshops. He is directly involved in 'track-II diplomacy' activities aimed at reducing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and creating the conditions for their complete elimination; he contributed theoretical and policy-oriented work on the issue of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. Publication and dissemination activities were successfully carried out and more are in the pipeline. Publications (already published or in progress) include two single-authored monographs, an edited volume, four book chapters, three reports, six journal articles. The Researcher presented and discussed his research results and his own views on issues related to the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East in several forums, including conferences, workshops, roundtables, 'track II diplomacy' meetings and consultations. Examples of these latter activities include participation and paper-presentation in a workshop on 'Nuclear non-proliferation in the Gulf' organised by the British American Security Information Center in association with the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Qatar Foreign Ministry, held in Doha, Qatar in March 2012; a personal meeting with Mr Jako Lajaava, Finnish Undersecretary of State and facilitator of the 2012 Conference on the Establishment of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East, held in Helsinki on 10 May 2012. The researcher has produced and will further produce scholarly and policy-oriented work relevant to increase the understanding of nuclear proliferation drivers and barriers in the Middle East and to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction by disseminating timely information, insights and analysis. As such, the researcher's work is of interest not only to academics and analysts, but also to policy makers, diplomats and officials who are involved in nonproliferation, with a special focus on the Middle Eastern regional context. The Marie Curie programme has offered the Researcher a great opportunity to analyse an important and timing issue, work in the US most prestigious and stimulating universities, grow intellectually and boost its career, contribute to the understanding of the issue of nuclear nonproliferation in the Middle East and promote the cause of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery vehicles. He greatly and fruitfully took advantage of this extraordinary professional and personal experience.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз