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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Seoul’s Changing Indo-Pacific Manifesto and India: Policy Prescriptions for India-ROK Ties
China’s stupendous rise and the subsequent rivalry with the US for global hegemony have forced countries to choose sides; caught between a rock and a hard place, middle powers like India and South Korea have sought to maintain partnerships with both countries in the geo-economic space while precariously balancing the two in the geo-political domain.

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Action Needed: Three Priorities for Iraq’s Water Sector
The water situation in Iraq is alarming. In 2021, the country experienced its second driest season in 40 years due to record low rainfall. Located downstream, much of the pressure on Iraq's water resources comes from dam construction in neighbouring countries, the impact of violent conflicts, and the consequences of climate change

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Information-based behavioural influencing in the military context: mapping current expert thinking
In information warfare, information-based capabilities are employed to target human cognition, seeking changes in attitudes, perceptions and behaviour by manipulating the flow of information. Even if information has always been used to shape adversary thinking and decision-making, major advancements in ICTs but also cognitive psychology have added to their centrality. As influencing efforts have grown, Western military organisations are shifting their attention to focus on information-based capabilities.

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De Nationale Politie, gezagdragers en de wijkagent
Het gebiedsgebonden werken komt bij de Nationale Politie steeds meer ter discussie te staan. Een belangrijke reden is dat lokale gezagdragers zich hebben moeten schikken naar de eisen die het beheer stelt, terwijl normaliter het beheer het gezag volgt. Daarnaast is er een structureel tekort aan wijkagenten. Beide kunnen het vertrouwen in de democratische rechtstaat ondermijnen. Deze notitie door Pieter van Vollenhoven pleit daarom voor een versterking van het gezag en de zichtbaarheid van de politie in de wijk.

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Between War and Peace: ‘Hybrid Threats’ and NATO’s Strategic Concept
In war studies, one can distinguish between the futurists on the one side and the traditionalists on the other: those holding that everything in today’s wars is new versus those holding that what happens today has already been seen in history, albeit in different guises.

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Aanpak voor het vaststellen van interventienoodzaak en handelingsperspectief ten aanzien van strategische autonomie op cybersecurity
Hoe kan de strategische autonomie op cybersecurity bewaakt worden? En welke beleidsmaatregelen kunnen – en moeten – in dit kader genomen worden? Nederland is een van de meest gedigitaliseerde landen wereldwijd maar daarmee is onze samenleving ook steeds meer afhankelijk geworden van een goed functionerende digitale infrastructuur. Cybersecurity is cruciaal om dit te bewerkstelligen.

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June 23, 2022

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

June 22, 2022

Action Needed: Three Priorities for Iraq’s Water Sector

June 21, 2022

Information-based behavioural influencing in the military context: mapping current expert thinking

June 21, 2022

De Nationale Politie, gezagdragers en de wijkagent

June 16, 2022

Between War and Peace: ‘Hybrid Threats’ and NATO’s Strategic Concept

June 13, 2022

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

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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

May 12, 2022

The European tank storage sector: 2050 and beyond

April 14, 2022

The U.S. Defense Production Act | Why America needs to do more if it wants to secure a steady supply of critical minerals

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

June 22, 2022

Action Needed: Three Priorities for Iraq’s Water Sector

June 8, 2022

Not When But Why | Embedding Causal Methods in Policy and Programming

March 30, 2022

Unpacking the Climate Security Nexus | Seven Pathologies Linking Climate Change to Violent Conflict

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

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