Contrary to the progressive hope that international society had advanced sufficiently so that major war was a phenomenon in decline, this prospect now seems much less likely than was the case only a few years ago. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally shifted the nature of the debate. A type of war that was recently considered surreal, especially one fought in Europe, is now accepted as thinkable again. This recognition is now driving many societies to prepare for a very different future of armed conflict.

Yet, whilst the war in Ukraine War may be a harbinger of wars to come, it should not dominate our thinking. Wars in the 21st century, as was the case in earlier centuries, will continue to take on different forms and guises and occur in various geographies. It is necessary to learn lessons from the war in Ukraine, but not lose sight of the many parallel social, military, technological and related developments that will characterise future wars.

During the symposium, leading War Studies scholars will consider the impact of the war in Ukraine on the broader social phenomenon of war, analyse the latest visions of future war, examine the impact of technological innovation, and assess our ability to anticipate this future.

Programme

• 13:30 - 13:45: Introduction
• 13:45 - 14:45: Panel 1 - Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War
  Lawrence Freedman, Ruth Deyermond, Jeff Michaels
• 14:45 - 15:00: Break
• 15:00 - 16:00: Panel 2 - The Spectrum of Future War
  David Betz, Tim Sweijs, Jack McDonald, David Ucko
• 16:00 - 17:00: Panel 3 - Radical Discontinuities and the Future of War
  Kenneth Payne, Jeni Mitchell, Richard Milburn, Julia Balm, Nicola Leveringhaus 
• 17:00 - 17:10: Concluding Remarks