Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

Water, Peace and Security Symposium, Baghdad, Iraq | 27 May, 2025

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On 27 May 2025, a diverse group of Iraqi policymakers, technical experts, academics, and international partners gathered in Baghdad for a dynamic one-day Symposium organised by the Water, Peace & Security (WPS) partnership. Held directly after the 5th Baghdad International Water Conference, the Symposium aimed to transform insights from WPS initiatives in Wasit, Missan, Basra, and Dhi Qar into actionable and collaborative solutions for addressing water-related security challenges in Iraq. Organised by the WPS partnership, the event marked a pivotal step toward transforming data and insights into collaborative solutions for southern Iraq’s mounting water-related challenges.

Oscar Lodeizen on dashboards, AI, and all things data

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What’s it like being an intern in the HCSS Datalab? Oscar Lodeizen tells you more about his experience: My time at HCSS has been incredibly valuable, both for learning and for having fun. It’s an exciting first step into the professional world. So far it has made me realise how important it is to have both affinity and enthusiasm for the field you are in. If the internship aligns with your interests and you are ready for the challenge, I would absolutely recommend applying.

Benedetta Girardi and Alisa Hoenig author chapter in book Decoding the Chessboard of Asian Geopolitics

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Strategic analyst Benedetta Girardi and former assistant analyst Alisa Hoenig have authored a chapter in the newly published book ‘Decoding the Chessboard of Asian Geopolitics: Asian Powerplay in East and Southeast Asia, The Global North, and Other Emerging Issues.’ Their chapter, titled ‘Navigating Geopolitics: Europe’s Evolving Connections with South and Southeast Asia’, explores the dynamic and shifting relationships between Europe and key actors in Asia through a geopolitical lens.

Emma Bokel joins HCSS as new Data Science Officer

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HCSS is pleased to announce that Emma Bokel has joined our team as a Data Science Officer! Emma: “I’m excited to return to HCSS in my new role as Data Science Officer. As someone deeply interested in both data science and public policy, especially in the field of geopolitics, the Data Lab at HCSS is a perfect fit. I’m particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to apply my policy knowledge to support code design, and, on the other hand, to use my data background to critically analyse information for policy purposes.”

Fourth GC REAIM Meeting Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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Last week, from May 6-8, 2025, GC REAIM successfully held its fourth in person Commission Meeting in Abu Dhabi, bringing together Commissioners, Experts, and local partners to work on the drafting of its Strategic Guidance Report. Graciously hosted by TRENDS Research & Advisory and with additional support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom. Our three days in Abu Dhabi have proven incredibly fruitful and presented a great opportunity to collect insights from the UAE and the wider region.

Event Recap | NATO Future Fuels Workshop

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The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) and the Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA) hosted a NATO Future Fuels Closed-Door Workshop on 24 April 2025 in The Hague, The Netherlands. For the first time, this workshop brought together representatives of the commercial and military infrastructure sectors to discuss the impact and risks of the changing global environment as well as commercial and military infrastructure needs. This event recap includes key takeaways from the event.

NATO Night 2025 | HCSS analyst Laura Jasper moderates the Security and Defence Panel

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On Wednesday the 30th of April, 2025 HCSS analyst Laura Jasper moderated the Panel “Security and Defence: Towards the NATO Summit in The Hague” at NATO Night 2025 organised at the NATO Staff Centre in Brussels. The panel looked back at the military developments of the past year and focused on the future, with the NATO summit in June as an important benchmark.

Pieter-Jan Vandoren | WindWorks Conference Riga

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HCSS Strategic Analyst Pieter-Jan Vandoren spoke at the 2025 WindWorks Conference in Riga on the ‘Defense vs Wind Energy’ panel. “Windworks Powering Economy” is the main platform for experts, policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders to network and discuss opportunities, challenges, and best practices in the wind energy sector across the Baltic States.