Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

New Event | Hybrid Pressures, Strategic Responses: Small and Middle Powers in the Age of China’s Influence

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HCSS is pleased to invite you to join the Symposium ‘Hybrid Pressures, Strategic Responses: Small and Middle Powers in the Age of China’s Influence’ on 16 December 2025. This in-person event brings together European and Asian experts to examine China’s expanding use of hybrid tactics and their impact on small and middle powers. The event will explore how states are responding, how China’s activities differ from other hybrid threats, and where opportunities exist to strengthen Europe–Asia cooperation and resilience.

HCSS Draghi Revisited Report Series | Expert Commentary

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One year after Mario Draghi’s landmark report, HCSS launches Draghi Revisited, the second edition of its Draghi Report Series. Despite rising political attention, Europe remains dependent in key defence, raw materials, cleantech and digital sectors, while global pressures intensify. Following the impact of their initial series, HCSS analysts Ron Stoop and Berend Kwak were invited to the European Commission’s conference marking the report’s anniversary, and now return to assess how far Europe has advanced toward industrial, technological and economic sovereignty. This new edition revisits Draghi’s warnings sector by sector, reviewing the EU’s concrete steps over the past year.

Laura Birkman on Gender, Climate and Security at the Berlin Security and Climate Conference

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Laura Birkman, Director of the Climate, Water & Food Security Programme, was the keynote speaker of an official side event at the Berlin Security and Climate Conference on 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 to celebrate 𝟮𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮. She emphasised that sustainable peace is achieved by building connections and integrating the fields of gender, environment, and security, rather than by allowing them to operate in parallel.

Securing Water, Sustaining Peace: Involving Defence and Security Actors in Addressing the Water Security Nexus

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Two weeks ago, HCSS strategic analyst Thijs van Aken represented The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) at the International Conference on Water, Peace and Security in Nairobi, Kenya, organised by the Water, Peace & Security (WPS) Partnership. The event, themed “Water as a Catalyst for Peace and Cooperation”, brought together governments, international organisations, civil society, researchers, and practitioners to explore how water can serve as a driver for peace rather than conflict. 

HCSS Strengthens Singapore–Netherlands Cooperation on Critical Undersea Infrastructure Protection 

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Dr. Tim Sweijs and Benedetta Girardi recently visited Singapore for a seminar on critical undersea infrastructure protection, co-organised by HCSS with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Singapore and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). The event brought together practitioners and experts from both countries to examine how bilateral cooperation can strengthen protection, resilience and governance of undersea infrastructure. The discussions converged three key takeaways for future Singapore–Netherlands cooperation.

WPS Symposium Recap | From Fragility to Resilience: Engaging Defence and Security Actors in Water Security

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On November 5th, 2025, HCSS hosted a Water Peace and Security (WPS) 4D Mini-Symposium – From Fragility to Resilience: Engaging Defence and Security Actors in Water Security. This event explored the role of defence and security actors in tackling water-related security challenges. This report synthesises the key take-aways from the event: (1) Foster Cross-Sectoral Trust and Understanding, (2) Build Comprehensive Cooperation Structures and (3) Understand Local Realities. 

HCSS at the Paris Peace Forum 2025

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A delegation from HCSS participated in the 8th edition of the Paris Peace Forum, held on 29–30 October 2025. The delegation, consisting of Deputy Director Michel Rademaker and Strategic Analysts Irina Patrahau and Sofia Romansky, actively contributed to discussions on the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) and on Critical Raw Materials.

Grace Wermenbol joins HCSS as Senior Fellow International Security and Geopolitics

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HCSS is delighted to welcome Dr. Grace Wermenbol as Senior Fellow for International Security and Geopolitics. Dr. Wermenbol brings extensive experience from senior roles across the U.S. government, including the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and the author of A Tale of Two Narratives. Dr. Wermenbol holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and specializes in the geopolitics of the Middle East, U.S. foreign policy, and international security.

WPS Symposium | From Fragility to Resilience: Engaging Defence and Security Actors in Water Security

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HCSS is pleased to invite you to join the Water Peace and Security (WPS) 4D Mini-Symposium – From Fragility to Resilience: Engaging Defence and Security Actors in Water Security on 5 November 2025. This event will explore the role of defence and security actors in tackling water-related security challenges. Around the world, security actors are increasingly called upon to respond to climate change–induced disasters and stabilise regions where water risks threaten peace. Yet, integration into broader cross-sectoral efforts remains limited.

Rens van Dam joins HCSS as new Research Scientist!

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HCSS is very pleased to announce that Rens van Dam has joined us as a new Research Scientist. Previously, Rens gained practical experience during his internship at the HCSS DataLab, and later on as a part-time Data Scientist where he contributed to data-driven research and the development of multiple dashboards. On joining HCSS, he commented: “I’m excited to start my work as a Research Scientist at HCSS, using my quantitative and economic background to help understand and address the pressing security issues, such as defence and climate, facing Europe today. These challenges require knowledge-based and informed strategies, and I hope to contribute to developing them at HCSS!”