Skip to content

Rishi Paul

Senior Policy Fellow

Dr Rishi Paul is a Senior Policy Fellow at the ELN leading the implementation of Nuclear Policy projects. Prior to this, Rishi was a Policy Fellow and Programme Manager at the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), managing the Programmes on Nuclear Responsibilities and Disarmament, as well as supporting the overall management and growth of the think tank.  

Rishi’s research interests and expertise include nuclear risk and emerging and disruptive technologies, as well as deterrence dynamics in the context of evolving adversarial relationships, especially its effect upon the formation of nuclear strategy and escalation pathways. Rishi’s research interest is also geared towards a critical examination of the thresholds for nuclear escalation and the role of nuclear off-ramps in managing risk reduction and averting nuclear use.  

Rishi’s pioneering work in this space is held in high regard; in late 2022, the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) awarded Rishi First Prize in its global security competition for developing an innovative plan designed to avert nuclear use in crisis and in war.   

Rishi has published widely, addressed the NATO Defence College in Rome, provided media commentary for international news outlets and delivered written evidence to the House of Lords, Select Committee on International Relations, “Rising nuclear risk, disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.” 

Rishi holds both an MA in Strategic Studies and a PhD from the University of Leeds. Whilst an academic researcher at the University of Leeds, his doctorate successfully examined the dynamics of U.S. nuclear strategy and the challenges posed by incorporating ballistic missile defence into strategic doctrine. 

Expertise: 

  • Nuclear risk 
  • Emerging and disruptive technologies 
  • Nuclear deterrence 
  • Nuclear thresholds and escalation control 
  • Missile defence 
  • Nuclear non-proliferation and arms control 
  • India and Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine, posture, and diplomacy 

Content by Rishi Paul

Report

Protecting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in turbulent times: Commentary collection

This commentary collection compiles 15 articles by 18 ELN network members and external collaborators as part of the ELN’s Protecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty project. The collection was originally published for the 2024 NPT Preparatory Committee.

Commentary

Why Iran’s missile strikes pose a real problem for Pakistan

Recent conventional skirmishes between Iran and Pakistan highlight the fact that having nuclear weapons does not guarantee that the ‘have nots’ will refrain from pursuing military action against a nuclear-armed state and all the associated escalatory risks that entails. ELN Senior Policy Fellow Dr Rishi Paul writes that in light of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the fact that Pakistan is not a signatory to the NPT, it is incumbent upon Islamabad to build the appropriate bilateral mechanisms to prevent any potential future escalations that could come about should Iran join the nuclear ‘club’.

25 July 2024 | Rishi Paul
Report

Technological complexity and risk reduction: A Guardrails and Self-Assessment Framework for EDTs in NC3 and nuclear weapons decision-making

Emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) are changing our lives – including in the worlds of defence and security. The ELN has been working since 2020 to understand how future nuclear crises may be affected by the intersection of multiple rapidly evolving new technologies. Building on years of work, this report presents a new Framework to help guide the safe use of EDTs in nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) systems, aiming to reduce risks and manage escalation.

19 July 2024 | Belén Bianco and Rishi Paul