Nonproliferation earns international honour

Internationally renowned commentator and Political Studies lecturer at The University of Auckland, Maria Rublee, has been honoured with a major international award from The International Society for Political Psychology for her new book, Nonproliferation Norms: Why States Choose Nuclear Restraint.

Dean of Arts at the University, Associate Professor Jan Crosthwaite says “the award is a testament to Dr Rublee’s research and highlights the academic excellence at the University.”

The much-coveted Alexander George Book Award has been conferred for demonstrating the highest quality of thought and making a major substantive book-length contribution to the field of political psychology.

Nonproliferation Norms, which examines nuclear weapons decision-making in Japan, Egypt, Libya, Germany and Sweden, has been judged the best book in the field of political psychology during 2009 and has increased substantially understanding of issues central to the concerns of political psychology and the world.

“I am thrilled to receive such a prestigious award and hope this honour will bring more recognition that the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and associated agreements are more than just pieces of paper,” says author Dr Maria Rublee.

“These agreements have shaped how states consider security, success, and the value of nuclear weapons. They must be supported and strengthened. Without them, we no longer have the normative and cognitive framework that defines nuclear weapons as uncivilized and unacceptable,” she says.

Dr Rublee states that this especially important for New Zealand, a natural leader in promoting nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.
Dr Rublee specialises in international security, international relations theory, and international organisations, with regional emphases on East Asia and the Middle East. In particular, she uses both social psychology and the international relations theory of constructivism to understand how state elites perceive ‘security’ and ‘success’ and analyses the influence of grassroots movements and nongovernmental organisations on state security policy.