Event details

Book Launch: Julian Perry Robinson: Pioneer in the Prohibition of Chemical and Biological Warfare

11 November 2025 17:30 until 20:00

University of Sussex Campus : The Terrace Room, Bramber House (top floor)

Speaker: Chaired by Professor Sasha Roseneill (Vice Chancellor)

The image displays the front and back cover of the book. The left side of the image is the back cover, providing the blurb and information; the right of the image is the front cover, with a picture of Julian, the title, and the editors.

Julian Perry Robinson: Pioneer in the Prohibition of Chemical and Biological Warfare

We warmly invite you to the launch of Julian Perry Robinson: Pioneer in the Prohibition of Chemical and Biological Warfare, celebrating the life and scholarship of Professor Julian Perry Robinson (1941–2020).

Julian was one of the world’s foremost experts on the control of chemical and biological weapons — the use of poison and disease as weapons of war. He spent most of his working life at, or closely affiliated with, the University of Sussex, where he co-founded the Harvard Sussex Program on Chemical and Biological Weapons within SPRU. His work combined academic rigour with public service, shaping international law, influencing policy, and mentoring generations of students. Julian passed away in 2020 from Covid-19, but his intellectual and institutional legacy continues at Sussex and beyond.

Chemical and biological weapons are not just matters of arms control: they cut across history, international relations, law, the life sciences, public health, and security studies. They remain live issues in today’s conflicts and global debates. This new volume brings together personal reflections from family, friends, and colleagues alongside a carefully curated selection of Julian’s most influential writings, making them accessible to new generations of scholars and practitioners.

The launch event will reflect on Julian’s legacy, showcase the importance of his work for contemporary challenges, and invite discussion on why truth, evidence, and accountability remain central to upholding international norms against these most inhumane weapons.

The event will be chaired by Professor Sasha Roseneil (Vice Chancellor, University of Sussex). Speakers include:

Professor Emeritus Mary Kaldor (Julian's life partner and wife; London School of Economics)
Peter Pringle (journalist and long-time friend of Julian)
Professor Anna Stavrianakis (Global Studies, University of Sussex)
Henrietta Wilson (King’s College London; Harvard Sussex Program)
Dr Katie Smallwood (WHO, previously Harvard Sussex Program)

There will be Q&A and a reception.

All members of the University — students, staff, and alumni — are warmly welcome. No prior knowledge of the topic is required. This is an opportunity to discover how a Sussex scholar’s research continues to influence global policy and to reflect on the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship in addressing today’s urgent challenges.

To attend, please register here.

This event is organised by the Harvard Sussex Program, based in SPRU at the Business School.

For further information or to explore research and policy collaboration opportunities, please contact Alexander Ghionis (Research Fellow in Chemical and Biological Security; a.ghionis@sussex.ac.uk)

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