Founder
Professor Dr. Rob de Wijk is the founder of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) and Professor of International Relations and Security at Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs. His work focuses on international security, geopolitics, defence, and the strategic challenges shaping the international order.
He studied Contemporary History and International Relations at the University of Groningen and obtained his PhD from Leiden University with a dissertation examining NATO’s “Flexibility in Response” strategy.
De Wijk began his career as a freelance journalist in 1977. He subsequently held senior positions at the Dutch Ministry of Defence, where he headed the Defence Concepts Department, and at the Clingendael Institute, where he led the Security Studies department. He also served as Professor of International Relations at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy.
Combining academic expertise with extensive practical experience in defence and security policy, De Wijk is a prominent national and international media commentator on geopolitics, international security, and global affairs. He has authored numerous books, including several bestsellers, and writes regular columns for the Dutch national newspaper Trouw. He also co-hosts Boekestijn en De Wijk, a highly successful podcast on BNR Nieuwsradio, where he and fellow historian Arend Jan Boekestijn analyse current geopolitical developments and their implications.
Through his research, publications, and public engagement, De Wijk contributes to strategic debate and helps policymakers and wider audiences understand an increasingly complex international environment. De Wijk relinquished his role as director of HCSS in 2014, and definitively stepped down from his management tasks in 2024, but continues to contribute his expertise and insights in the Advisory Board, to help shape HCSS’s strategic direction and reflect on the future of think tanks.
