The Hague

Program

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Program: 6:00–8:00 PM

Location: Leiden University (Wijnhaven), Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague

The Adriatic–Baltic–Black–Azov Seas Student Association (ABBA Student Association) is organizing a panel discussion dedicated to nuclear justice and the role of science and technology in contemporary armed conflicts, with a specific focus on the Russian war against Ukraine.

The event will take place on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Leiden University's Campus The Hague. It is organized as part of the Remember Together Alliance , marking the fourth anniversary of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The discussion aims to bring together academic, technical, and policy perspectives to examine how nuclear capabilities, scientific institutions, and technological infrastructures are being instrumentalized for warfare and coercion. Particular attention will be paid to the long-term implications for international security, accountability, and sanctions mechanisms.

Core themes include:

• Nuclear status beyond political discourse: focusing on the technical, infrastructural, and scientific requirements that would theoretically be necessary for a state like Ukraine to restore nuclear capabilities.

• The Russian nuclear and missile ecosystem: including key research and production centers, missile systems, and the consequences of inadequate or uneven sanctions.

• The Militarization ( Weaponization ) of Academic Space: In Support of War Narratives and State Policies.

• Scientific-imperial practices: including the systematic appropriation and erasure of Ukrainian scientists and their scientific achievements.

The event will take the form of a moderated panel discussion, with invited experts delivering short thematic contributions, followed by a guided conversation and questions from the audience.

The panel is designed to stimulate dialogue and knowledge exchange between academia, civil society experts, and policymakers. It aims to contribute to ongoing discussions in The Hague on international justice, accountability, sanctions policy, and the role of science and academia in times of war.