February Digest:
February at the Defence Research Network focused on a question that often sits quietly beneath our outputs, events and publications: how do we look after the people doing the work?
February at the Defence Research Network focused on a question that often sits quietly beneath our outputs, events and publications: how do we look after the people doing the work?
Academic and research careers can be meaningful and absorbing, but they are also characterised by blurred boundaries, sustained mental effort and overlapping pressures. This month’s theme created space to reflect on how we protect our time, energy and long-term effectiveness in environments that often reward constant productivity.
In the posts across February, you will find reflections from our recent wellbeing event, a short curated reading list on academic pressure and working rhythms, practical resources shared with our community, and insights from committee members on how they protect their time and energy. We also highlight this month’s podcasts, books and upcoming events across the network. Together, these contributions aim to support thoughtful, sustainable approaches to research life.
The Defence Research Network remains committed to creating space for reflection, debate and exchange across disciplines, career stages and geographies. We are grateful to all those who contribute their work, ideas and time to the DRN, and we look forward to sharing new themes, conversations and collaborations in the months ahead so please do get in touch at defenceresearchnetwork@gmail.com if you have work, events or opportunities you would like us to feature in a future theme.
Tegan Lily Harrison
Editor, Defence Research Network
Theme of the Month: Researcher Wellbeing
Looking After the Researcher: Wellbeing in Academic Careers
Wellbeing Event
On 23 February, we hosted Looking After the Researcher: Wellbeing in Academic Careers, an informal and supportive conversation about managing pressures and building sustainable working habits.
The session explored:
- Why researchers often struggle to maintain boundaries
- How perfectionism and comparison quietly shape academic life
- The structural and cultural pressures embedded in research environments
- Practical ways to protect time, focus and long-term wellbeing
Taking place in the month associated with care, the event encouraged participants to consider self-care not as indulgence, but as a foundation for meaningful and sustained work. The discussion highlighted a shared recognition: academic work has no natural stopping point. Without deliberate limits, it expands indefinitely.
A key takeaway from the conversation was that small, deliberate adjustments — protecting one evening a week, delaying email responses, saying “not now” to non-essential requests — can have disproportionate positive effects. To read our report follow this link.
Researcher Wellbeing: A Reading List
Alongside the event, we shared a curated a short reading list on researcher wellbeing.
This month’s reading list included:
- Jessamy Hibberd – The Imposter Cure
- Maggie Berg & Barbara K. Seeber – The Slow Professor
- Alex Soojung-Kim Pang – Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
- Jenny Odell – How to Do Nothing
Together, these texts question the culture of acceleration in academia, explore the psychology of self-doubt, and make the case for rest and sustained attention as integral to intellectual work. You can read this post here!
Committee Reflections
Committee members shared resources and practical approaches that support their wellbeing, including:
- Creating a personalised “self-care menu” with activities organised by time available
- Protecting evenings and weekends where possible
- Deleting social media to reduce comparison and “doom-scrolling”
- Daily reading for pleasure
- Running, swimming, or returning to martial arts
- Cooking, baking, and spending time outdoors
- Combining writing days with inspiring locations such as small town libraries
- Using coaching and trusted colleagues to clarify priorities and feel confident saying no
Across these reflections, a consistent message emerged: loving your work and protecting your life outside it are not mutually exclusive. Setting boundaries does not signal a lack of ambition; it often sustains it. Read these reflections here.
Events and News from the Community
UK Space Power Conference 2026
Taking place on 23–24 September 2026 at the IET, Savoy Place, this inaugural conference led by UK Space Command will bring together senior military leaders, policymakers and industry experts to discuss defence reform, international collaboration and the future UK Defence Space Portfolio. The event will offer in-person networking and virtual access via livestream. For more see here.
KCL x Freeman Air & Space Institute – ‘Iran at the Edge: War, Negotiation, or Internal Fracture?’
This online webinar on 12 March 2026 examines Iran’s internal stability, deterrence posture and the prospects for diplomacy or escalation amid renewed US–Iran negotiations. Speakers will assess the regime’s vulnerabilities, regional dynamics and the risks of further conflict. See here for details.
Maritime Security: A Global Challenge that Should Not be Ducked
Hosted at King’s College London on 12 March 2026, this seminar explores contemporary maritime security challenges beyond traditional naval geopolitics. The discussion will address piracy, terrorism, cybersecurity, climate change, illegal fishing and the evolving risks facing the Blue Economy. To register access our post here.
British Library – Doctoral Open Day: Digital Collections and Resources
Taking place on 29 May 2026, this open day introduces researchers to the British Library’s digital archives, digitisation initiatives, metadata tools and AI in digital humanities research. Designed primarily for PhD students but open to all career stages, the event offers expert guidance and networking opportunities. For details, see our post.
What We’ve Been Listening To: February 2026
This month’s listening reflects the strategic turbulence shaping the current security environment. From military readiness and civil–military dynamics to energy warfare and shifting alliance politics, these episodes offer timely insight into the pressures facing states and institutions today.
War on the Rocks | The Marines That Led the Evacuation of Afghanistan, Four Years Later
This episode revisits the US evacuation of Afghanistan through the perspectives of the Marines who led it. With four years’ distance, the discussion reflects on operational decision-making, civil–military coordination and what the withdrawal reveals about crisis management and strategic learning.
War on the Rocks | Power, Paranoia, and the People’s Liberation Army
Focusing on internal dynamics within China’s military, this episode explores how power consolidation, political control and institutional culture shape the People’s Liberation Army. The conversation sheds light on how internal politics influence China’s external military posture.
UkraineWorld | Russia’s Energy Terror Against Ukraine (with Oksana Ishchuk)
This discussion examines Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, analysing their strategic logic and coercive intent. The episode also considers the humanitarian consequences and risks to nuclear safety in a war increasingly defined by infrastructure targeting.
UkraineWorld | Decoding Trump’s Ukraine Policy (with Christopher Atwood)
This episode analyses the underlying drivers of Donald Trump’s approach to Ukraine and what it signals about his broader vision of global order, alliances and human rights. The discussion situates policy shifts within wider debates about US leadership and strategic priorities.
RUSI Talking Strategy | Britain’s Preparation for War
This conversation assesses what readiness means in the current security environment, examining Britain’s force structure, procurement challenges and defence reform agenda. It offers a sober reflection on how the UK conceptualises preparation for high-intensity conflict.
You can find links to all podcast episodes in our post.
Veronika Hinman
What We’re Reading: February 2026
This month’s reading explores how military power is built, sustained and transformed across time. From contemporary debates about defence industrial capacity to the evolution of warfare in the ancient Mediterranean, these books examine how adaptation underpins strategic success.
Seth G. Jones – The American Edge: The Military Tech Nexus and the Sources of Great Power Dominance
Jones argues that the United States must revitalise its defence industrial base and deepen partnerships with innovative technology firms to sustain deterrence against China. Tracing the historical relationship between industrial capacity and military power, the book contends that outdated procurement systems risk undermining long-term strategic competitiveness.
Conor Whately – Ancient Warfare: The Basics
Whately offers an accessible overview of warfare in the ancient Mediterranean, from the Trojan War to the Arab conquests. Drawing on literary, archaeological and historical evidence, the book shows how tactics, technologies and imperial ambitions evolved over centuries, highlighting enduring patterns in the rise and fall of great powers.
Find out more and access links to both books in our post.
Veronika Hinman
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We're always looking to showcase early-career researchers in research and their work, so don't be shy in getting in touch, and we welcome any suggestions for 'In Conversation' pieces with more established academics. And don't forget to let us know about any events you, or your departments, schools and Universities might be hosting in the near future, from book launches to webinars.
