Call for experts: Policy Lab on the ‘National Conversation’ on defence and security
Last year we launched a new series of policy labs, designed to bring together leading academics and policy makers to engage with some of the most pressing and complex challenges facing the UK and the international community today. At a time of profound political, social, and economic uncertainty, there is an urgent need for sustained, collaborative spaces that bridge scholarly expertise and policy practice.
The United Kingdom’s Strategic Defence Review 2025 set out the need for a ‘whole-of-society’ approach, stating that "everyone has a role to play and a national conversation on how we do it is required". Action is now underway to launch a resilience programme in Autumn 2026 that will carry this agenda forward.
This raises significant questions about the relationship between government and the public. What role can, or should, the public be expected to play in home defence? What would a productive dialogue between government and citizens look like, and who should lead it? And in a context of increased political fragmentation and low trust in institutions, what are the prospects for building the cohesion that a whole-of-society approach would assumedly depend on?
These questions will form the basis of the next BISA Policy Lab where we will discuss the ‘National Conversation’ on defence and security. The Policy Lab will take place on Thursday 3 December, at the UN A offices in Whitehall in central London.
Our Policy Labs are spaces for structured dialogue, co-creation, and critical reflection, where participants work collectively to generate insights that inform policy development and implementation in meaningful and tangible ways. Each Policy Lab is conducted in person, over half a business day, in London. They are organised under the Chatham House rule to enable open and frank discussion.
By convening diverse perspectives, and fostering close interaction between research and practice, the Policy Labs seek not only to deepen understanding of key issues, but to facilitate genuine advancement in priority policy areas.
For this Policy Lab, we are looking for BISA members who can contribute to a discussion on one or more of the areas listed below.
- Facilitating an inclusive ‘National Conversation’. What approaches to conducting a ‘National Conversation’ best support inclusive and representative deliberation? How can it ensure diverse communities, including marginalised groups are genuinely engaged in shaping security choices? In a context of political fragmentation and low trust, can or should a national conversation work towards societal cohesion and/or political consensus on UK security? Are there comparable examples of 'national conversations', in the UK or elsewhere, from which lessons can be learned?
- Whole-of-society burden sharing. What role can or should the state expect citizens to play in ensuring the security of the UK? What role can or should citizens expect the state to play? How should responsibilities between citizen and state be delineated? Where are the political boundaries between motivating civic action and perceptions that the state is externalising its own responsibilities? How can ‘whole-of-society’ approaches address, rather than avoid, low levels of trust in institutions? Are there any useful comparators that the UK should be aware of?
If you are interested in joining the Policy Lab, please complete the short expression of interest form by Monday 9 November 2026. We will be in touch after this date to let you know if you have been accepted.
Please note the requirement to be a BISA member in order to be eligible. There is a small limited budget for travel within the UK for those in need. More details on how to apply will be sent to those who are accepted following the deadline.
You will not be required to present a paper, but rather contribute to meaningful and tangible discussions. There will also be refreshments and lunch provided.
If your work is related to the ‘National Conversation’ on Defence and Security but doesn’t fit with one of the two areas listed above, we would still be interested to hear from you. In this case please email Juliet Dryden, BISA CEO/Director: Juliet.Dryden@bisa.ac.uk with brief details of your area of expertise.
Photo by Specna Arms on Unsplash
