Alice Spilman

Alice completed her undergraduate degree at Newcastle University in 2016, where she had studied a BA in Politics that included a semester of studying at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Following her undergraduate, Alice joined the ICCS as an MSc student in Global Cooperation and Security. Whilst with the ICCS from 2016-2017, Alice competed in the University’s delegation to the International Model NATO Conference in Washington DC and also undertook and intensive module at The University of Delhi, India, in South Asian security. During the MSc, Alice completed her masters dissertation on the declining relationship between ‘The West’ and Russia under the supervision of Professor Nicholas Wheeler, who is now supervising her on her 1+3 ESRC collaborative studentship with the ICCS and BASIC. 

Alice is broadly looking into what counts, or doesn’t count as responsible state conduct in relation to the possession of nuclear weapons. In collaboration with the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) she is researching the behaviour of nuclear weapon possessing states, specifically looking at how states have come to understand, formulate and articulate responsibilities associated with the possession of nuclear weapons. The research hopes to map out states understanding of responsibility and explore the potential reasons why states behave as they do. Working with BASIC, the hope is to encourage new discussion and dialogue on nuclear restraint and disarmament that uses responsibility as a frame. 

• Nuclear policy, non-proliferation and disarmament
• Security dilemma and trust 
• International security
• Role and future of NATO