Global Nuclear Order-Atomic Anxiety event: Unsiloing pedagogy and research
On 26 May, colleagues from across the discipline gathered for the Global Nuclear Order Working Group and Atomic Anxiety project’s ‘Unsiloing pedagogy and research’ event to explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning about nuclear weapons. The event brought together academics and practitioners with a shared interest in innovative pedagogies to exchange experiences, discuss current challenges, and reflect on nuclear disarmament education.
The programme featured presentations from Franco Escobar (University of Hull), Lucas Perez Florentino (Geneva Graduate Institute), Chaeyoung Yong (University of St Andrews) and Patricia Shamai (University of Portsmouth). Speakers addressed themes including museum exhibits as pedagogical tools, teaching as a practice of democratisation, and research into mapping the elites producing non-proliferation knowledge. We also learnt about how virtual reality, walking as pedagogy and the growth of Gingko tree seeds could provide a catalyst to learning and teaching about nuclear weapons. Across the presentations, speakers highlighted the importance of creating learning environments that encourage critical thinking, and meaningful reflection.
Alongside the presentations, participants took part in a series of interactive activities. Participants encountered ‘Dial N for Nuclear’, a nuclear crisis simulation developed and led by Dr Timothy Peacock of the University of Glasgow’s Games and Gaming Lab. Meanwhile, Dr Ioana Popescu (University of Edinburgh) led participants through an immersive web-making exercise through which we could visualise the entanglements and complexities of relationships in governing nuclear weapons. Finally, we gained insights into the value of foresights and futures methodologies, led by Declan Penrose (University of Manchester). Each of these activities gave a real sense of the value of innovative approaches to teaching about nuclear weapons which encourage students and educators alike to move past the traditional classroom set-up and fully immerse themselves in the content of the work.
Small-group discussions enabled attendees to share classroom experiences and identify common challenges, while collaborative exercises encouraged participants to develop practical solutions that could be adapted to their own teaching contexts. These activities generated lively discussion and highlighted the value of learning from colleagues across institutions and disciplines. At a time when pessimism about the state of nuclear politics abounds, the workshop put a spotlight on the novel ways that nuclear weapons can be taught, learnt and thought about with creativity and emotional sensitivity at the heart of our practice.
The GNO working group and Atomic Anxiety team thank all participants for joining us in Glasgow to share their contributions and we look forward to continuing these conversations at future events.