vailsymposium

Dr. Siegfried Hecker was the fifth director at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and is an internationally recognized expert in plutonium science, global threat reduction, and nuclear security. Dr. Hecker’s interests include nuclear nonproliferation and arms control, nuclear weapons policy, nuclear security, the safe and secure expansion of nuclear energy, and plutonium science. At the end of the Cold War, he fostered cooperation with the Russian nuclear laboratories to secure and safeguard the vast stockpile of ex-Soviet fissile materials.  Between 2004 and 2010, he made seven trips to North Korea to get an inside look at their nuclear weapon capability.

With his expertise in nuclear security, Dr. Hecker shares his insights on the new Russia-North Korea relationship and the destabilization in the global nuclear order resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  He will give a wide view of the changing nuclear landscape.  Will Putin use nuclear weapons? What is North Korea’s capacity?  What about China or Iran?  Join us for a fascinating look at the history and current status of the global nuclear order.

Recommended reading available at The Bookworm in Edwards: 
“Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program” by Siegfried S. Hecker and Elliot A. Serbin