The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

HCSS conducts research on geopolitical and defence & security issues for governments, international institutions and businesses. Our research is characterized by a datadriven, multidisciplinary approach, specialist knowledge and a strategic orientation.

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Latest Research

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Call for papers: Information-based behavioural influencing and Western practice
As part of the project Platform Influencing Human Behaviour, HCSS is bringing together academic experts and policymakers to explore ethical, legal and military-strategic issues and boundaries involved in information-based behavioural influencing in the military context. Scholars, experts and policymakers are invited to submit a paper on the employment of information-related capabilities to influence human behaviour in the military context, from the perspective of an individual European or NATO country’s perspective.

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Serious Gaming: Grounding and Directing Climate Action
There is no doubt that climate change is severely affecting the entire planet. Anthropogenic carbon emissions catalyze the pace of melting ice caps, soaring temperatures, and decreasing rainfall patterns, creating concerning scenarios for the future. Risks are plenty, and climate action is imperative. This snapshot by HCSS Assistant Analyst Ricardo Pereira Teixeira and Michel Rademaker addresses serious gaming as a critical tool for undertaking climate initiatives and reports on the output from the NATO Crisis Management and Disaster Response (CMDR) Centre of Excellence course on Climate Security in Sofia, Bulgaria.

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From the War in Ukraine to the Energy Transition: Searching for a New Balance in the Oil Market
The world oil map is being redrawn, as Russia is looking for new energy markets and the EU looks for alternative producers of fossil fuels. We may aim for an orderly energy transition but in reality the last phase of the fossil fuel era may be relatively chaotic. This HCCS paper aims to shed light on some of the structural issues that contributed to the current crisis, as well as look ahead into some important trends in the oil market up to 2050.

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Een Flexibele Organisatie voor Flexibel Optreden | Onderzoek Inrichtingsprincipe 2
Wat zijn de problemen die Defensie ondervindt bij het kunnen voldoen aan planmatige verplichtingen en ad hoc aanvragen voor stand-by en in te zetten eenheden?

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IMCCS | Climate Security Snapshot: The Balkans
Countries in the Balkans face unique and concerning interactions between climate-influenced disasters and hostile geopolitical influences, write Elsa Barron and Hugo van Manen in a new IMCCS snapshot.

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Iraqi Marshland Women: The True Guardians of the Marshes
The Marshlands of Southern Iraq, often described as the ‘Garden of Eden,’ are under serious threat from the effects of climate change. In a new snapshot, HCSS assistant analyst Kendra Kock argues that Iraqi Marshland women should be considered one of the key stakeholders involved in the decision-making processes concerning the restoration of the Marshes and the livelihoods of its inhabitants.

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August 10, 2022

Call for papers: Information-based behavioural influencing and Western practice

August 8, 2022

Serious Gaming: Grounding and Directing Climate Action

August 4, 2022

From the War in Ukraine to the Energy Transition: Searching for a New Balance in the Oil Market

July 27, 2022

Een Flexibele Organisatie voor Flexibel Optreden | Onderzoek Inrichtingsprincipe 2

July 25, 2022

IMCCS | Climate Security Snapshot: The Balkans

July 7, 2022

Iraqi Marshland Women: The True Guardians of the Marshes

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Europe in the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the new epicentre of geopolitical competition. Europe has begun its own tilt towards the Indo-Pacific, yet it remains unclear what specific role Europeans should play. The HCSS “Europe in the Indo-Pacific Hub (EIPH)” brings together scholars, experts and practitioners across Europe, Asia, as well as East-Africa and the US.

Latest Research

June 23, 2022

Seoul’s Changing Indo-Pacific Manifesto and India: Policy Prescriptions for India-ROK Ties

May 4, 2022

Europa in de Indo-Pacific: moeilijk te vermijden en moeilijk uit te voeren

March 24, 2022

Guarding the Maritime Commons | What role for Europe in the Indo-Pacific

Cyber Policy & Resilience

Cyberspace is increasingly a key domain for both domestic and international policy making, with cybersecurity being one of the most pressing challenges. We bridge the field of cybersecurity with traditional statecraft.

Latest Research

June 13, 2022

Aanpak voor het vaststellen van interventienoodzaak en handelingsperspectief ten aanzien van strategische autonomie op cybersecurity

May 30, 2022

The Cyber Arms Watch: Uncovering the Stated & Perceived Offensive Cyber Capabilities of States

April 6, 2022

The Promises and Perils of a Minimum Cyber Deterrence Posture: Considerations for Small and Middle Powers

Energy & Natural Resources

The energy transition is changing the architecture of economies by replacing the traditional fuels with new energy carriers. In this transition period, balancing the conventional energy system with the low-carbon one presents challenges for governments and companies alike. HCSS seeks to understand, analyse and address pressing geo-economic and geopolitical issues induced by the energy transition.

Latest Research

August 4, 2022

From the War in Ukraine to the Energy Transition: Searching for a New Balance in the Oil Market

May 12, 2022

The European tank storage sector: 2050 and beyond

April 5, 2022

European tank storage in global supply chains: Outlook to 2030

a moped with 2 passengers drives through the water

Climate & Security

The Climate & Security Program (CASP) is HCSS’ response to the urgent and ever increasing need for a better understanding of the most pressing geopolitical and security implications of climate change.

Latest Research

August 8, 2022

Serious Gaming: Grounding and Directing Climate Action

July 25, 2022

IMCCS | Climate Security Snapshot: The Balkans

July 7, 2022

Iraqi Marshland Women: The True Guardians of the Marshes

Strategic Monitor

In order to remain on top of the rapid changes in the international environment, the Dutch MFA and MoD have tasked HCSS and the Clingendael Institute to conduct research within the framework of the Strategic Monitor.

Latest Research

April 6, 2022

The Promises and Perils of a Minimum Cyber Deterrence Posture: Considerations for Small and Middle Powers

March 28, 2022

Strategic Monitor 2021-2022 | Hanging Together: Partners and Policies for the Netherlands and EU in Turbulent Times

December 8, 2021

Climate Security in Global Hotspots: Policy Options for The Netherlands

HCSS Datalab & Data Warehouse

The Datalab is HCSS’ in-house evidence and knowledge base that is increasingly becoming the foundation on which we build our geostrategic analyses. By doing so, we complement deep human expertise with more systematic – and multi-perspectivist – machine-based and data-driven analysis.

About The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

HCSS conducts research and provides advice on geopolitical, defence & security issues to governments, international institutions and businesses. We combine broad conceptual knowledge, qualitative and quantitative methods and present our findings in the form of recommendations, strategic explorations and scenario analyses.

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