Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

Interview with Lieutenant Colonel Ainar Afanasjev on The Baltic Defence Line

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On January 15, 2025 HCSS had the honour to host the Dutch Minister of Defence and his 3 his three colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as well 3 defence experts from the visiting Allies. HCSS Strategic Analyst Davis Ellison briefly spoke to one of the military panelists, Lieutenant Colonel Ainar Afanasjev from the Estonain Defence Forces just after the event. They discussed preparedness during peace time, Estonian preparations, coordination efforts between the three Baltic states, lessons learned from the Ukrainian armed forces and being ready for new threats. Watch the full interview here.

Charlotte Lindsey joins HCSS as non-resident Subject Matter Expert

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HCSS is pleased to announce that Charlotte Lindsey has joined us a non-resident Subject Matter Expert! Her work focuses on the impact, opportunities, and risks of digitalisation and emerging technologies for the humanitarian sector, as well as cyber influence operations, cybersecurity, and digital policy. Ms. Lindsey: “As someone deeply committed to addressing the evolving challenges at the intersection of technology, conflict, law and humanitarian action, affiliating with HCSS represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to forward-thinking research and innovative solutions. HCSS’s interdisciplinary approach aligns with my commitment to addressing the impact of emerging challenges for humanity, global peace and security.”

Dr. Tim Sweijs interviews four Defence Ministers during ‘The Baltic Defence Line’ Symposium

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On 15 January 2025, HCSS was honoured to welcome the Dutch Minister of Defence Mr. Ruben Brekelmans and his three colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: Defence Ministers Mr. Hanno Pevkur, Mr. Andris Sprūds and Ms. Dovilė Šakalienė. The four ministers gathered for ‘The Baltic Defence Line’ Symposium to discuss the topic of eastern flank defence, NATO’s forward defence strategy in Europe, and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Just before HCSS hosted this event, Dr. Tim Sweijs managed to briefly interview the 4 defence ministers.

Symposium Recap | The Baltic Defence Line: Strengthening the Defence of NATO’s Eastern Flank

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On 15 January 2025, HCSS was honoured to welcome the Dutch Minister of Defence Mr. Ruben Brekelmans and his three colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: defence ministers Mr. Hanno Pevkur, Mr. Andris Sprūds and Ms. Dovilė Šakalienė. In the runup to the upcoming NATO Summit in the Hague in June later this year, we discussed NATO’s defence of the eastern front, including the Baltic Defence Line, as well as NATO’s long term strategic approach towards Russia in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Laura Birkman joins the Management Team of HCSS!

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HCSS is proud to announce that Laura Birkman has joined the Management Team! Since joining the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies in 2019 as a Senior Strategic Analyst, Laura has focused on non-traditional security challenges, particularly at the intersection of climate and security. As of January 2025, Laura serves as the Director of the Climate, Water, and Food Security Programme at HCSS. She manages a broad portfolio of projects and oversees the award-winning Water, Peace, and Security (WPS) partnership, which develops innovative tools and services to identify and address water-related security risks.

Protecting European AI-Related Innovations: Preventing Their Use in China’s Military Advancements

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Over the past years, China’s rapid military modernisation has caused alarm in the United States, Asia and Europe. China’s self-stated goals express its intent to leap to a position of leadership and self-sufficiency in artificial intelligence (AI)-based and enabled technologies, with major implications for the military domain. If the US-China military balance of power in the Indo-Pacific definitively tips in China’s favour, this could have far-reaching consequences for security in East Asia, as well as globally. Drawing on a collaborative research effort by HCSS and Datenna, this report provides a detailed analysis of China’s technological strategies and industrial landscape, offering European policymakers actionable recommendations for managing technology transfer and safeguarding security interests.

Job Opening: Data Scientist & Software Developer (Junior) (OPEN)

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We are expanding our Datalab team with a junior-level data scientist & software developer who has a strong quantitative background and an affinity for geopolitics and national and international security. We are specifically looking for data scientists & software developers who have knowledge of methodologies in data science and development, such as machine learning, statistical modelling, and NLP/Generative AI. Candidates must be able to function in a dynamic project organisation and have a strong interest in building data-driven tools and applying data analysis for strategic policy advice. Deadline to apply is January 31, 2025.

HCSS Christmas Bookshelf & Sleighride Soundbites 2024 ✨

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As the festive season approaches, we want to extend our gratitude to HCSS’ dedicated followers by presenting a thoughtfully curated assortment of top-notch book and podcast recommendations, just in time for the holiday festivities! Each winter, our team of staff and interns collaborates to suggest a handpicked collection of books and podcasts ideal for indulging in cosy fireside reading.

Emma Bokel on her time as a Datalab intern, leveraging data science for public policy and discovering her career path

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Hi! My name is Emma and I’m at the end of my data internship as I am writing this. I’m 23 years old and Dutch, but grew up pretty internationally. I did my bachelors at TU Delft in Computer Science and Engineering, where I specialised in data science. Because I felt like I was missing knowledge on how to apply my skills to something I care about, I decided to study Engineering and Policy Analysis at TU Delft. From my studies, I knew that I love leveraging data science for public policy. So, I started looking around for anything that combines the two. The datalab at HCSS seemed like a perfect fit for me as the vacancy specifically mentioned data science and an affinity for policy research.

SANCS25 is now open for Registration!

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SANCS is back as the Southern Africa-Netherlands Cyber Security School (SANCS) and is now open for registration! After the success of the inaugural SANCS earlier in March this year, we are eager to show you what we have in store in 2025. This online Cyber Security school caters to postgraduate students and young to mid-career professionals interested in cybersecurity matters, specifically those based in Southern Africa or the Netherlands.