GeoNuFE Co-Organises International Conference on the History and Geopolitics of Nuclear Deindustrialization

On 11–12 June 2026, the University of Turin will host the international conference History and Geopolitics of Nuclear Deindustrialization, jointly organised by the DENUCLIT and GeoNuFE research projects.

Bringing together scholars from across Europe, the conference will explore the historical, political, environmental and territorial dimensions of nuclear deindustrialization. As nuclear infrastructures age and many facilities enter phases of decommissioning, questions surrounding waste management, site redevelopment, environmental legacies and the future of nuclear territories have become increasingly important. The conference aims to address these issues through interdisciplinary dialogue, drawing on perspectives from history, geography, political science, environmental studies and science and technology studies.

GeoNuFE will play a central role in the event. The project’s Principal Investigator, Teva Meyer, will deliver the opening remarks alongside Barbara Curli (University of Turin), chair the panel Post-Nuclear Materials: Political Geographies, Geologies and Economies of Fuels and Waste, and provide the conference’s concluding remarks.

The programme features four thematic panels addressing regulatory frameworks for decommissioning, post-nuclear environments and local mobilisations, nuclear materials and waste, as well as the relationship between technological futures and nuclear decline. Participants will also engage with recent publications in the field through a dedicated book preview session.

The conference will bring together leading scholars working on the history, politics and geographies of nuclear energy, including Jayita Sarkar (University of Glasgow), Tatiana Kasperski (Södertörn University), Per Högselius (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) and Paul Josephson (Colby College). Jayita Sarkar will deliver the conference keynote lecture, The Global History of Nuclear Infrastructures.

By fostering exchanges between researchers working on nuclear infrastructures, fuel cycles, territorial transformations and environmental legacies, the conference contributes to ongoing debates on the changing geographies of nuclear energy and the long-term consequences of nuclear industrial development.

Practical Information

Dates: 11–12 June 2026
Venue: University of Turin, Campus Luigi Einaudi, Turin, Italy
Organisers: DENUCLIT Project (University of Turin) and ERC GeoNuFE Project (Université de Haute-Alsace)
Featured Speakers: Jayita Sarkar (University of Glasgow), Tatiana Kasperski (Södertörn University), Per Högselius (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) and Paul Josephson (Colby College)
Conference Theme: History, geopolitics and territorial legacies of nuclear deindustrialization.

Further information:

• DENUCLIT: https://www.denuclit.unito.it/home

• GeoNuFE: https://geonufe.eu