Educational Outreach During COVID-19

The VCDNP has continued its educational outreach initiatives during the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, 20 April 2020, VCDNP Executive Director Elena Sokova, Senior Fellow Nikolai Sokov and Research Associate Noah Mayhew met virtually with 25 students from the Erasmus Mundus MA in Public Policy (MAPP) program, a consortium including the University of York (UK), Central European University (Budapest), Institut Barcelona D’Estudis Internacionals (Barcelona) and the Institute of Social Studies (The Hague).

Each year, first-year students of the MAPP program visit a hub of international policy and this year they planned to come to Vienna to meet with key international organizations and leading think tanks, including the VCDNP. VCDNP experts meet on a regular basis with student groups to discuss the Center’s activities, as well as pressing non-proliferation and disarmament issues facing the international community.

Executive Director Sokova began the meeting with a discussion on the VCDNP’s activities and current research projects. Following her presentation, Dr. Sokov gave the students a comprehensive overview of the history and challenges facing arms control between the United States and the Russian Federation as well as prospects for multilateral arms control in the nuclear sphere. Finally, Mr. Mayhew gave an overview of nuclear program of North Korea, including its history and the current status of negotiations between North Korea and the United States.

During the Q&A portion that followed the presentations, the speakers touched further upon the VCDNP's work, including initiatives to promote entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and further strengthen the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency.