The NYU Center for Global Affairs is thrilled to announce the continuation of our webinar series, “Course Pop-ups.” Each Pop-up will be hosted by the instructor for an upcoming course at the CGA. We invite you to join us and hear more about new and timely topics and to experience a snapshot of what you’ll learn as a student in the course!

In our Course Pop-up: Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, Clinical Associate Professor WPS Sidhu examines the linkages between the COVID-19 virus and biological weapons, and the implications of the pandemic for the study of WMDs. In his short lecture, “'COVID-19 & Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD),” he explores what lessons can be learnt from the COVID-19 experience to prevent and mitigate the deliberate or accidental use of such lethal viruses. While the claim that COVID-19 is a man-made WMD has been largely discounted, the possibility that it was an accidental release from a laboratory has not. Additionally, the rapid spread of the virus has shown not only how a successful bio-attack might unfold, but also the lack of preparedness to deal with it. Does the 2021 Review of the Biological Weapon Convention provide an opportunity to strengthen the regime to effectively manage such pathogens? Or will existing geopolitical contestations stymie such cooperation? Professor Sidhu has more than 25 years experience in policy-related research on WMDs and the UN, and this expertise will inform his candid insights.

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