Author Archive for: Stephanie Govaerts

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Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

Alexander Krabbendam on how he went from professional chef to HCSS, cybersecurity schools and NATO

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Hi! My name is Alexander Krabbendam. I grew up in Scotland to Dutch parents and am currently studying an Erasmus Mundus Masters in European Politics and Society. I first learned about HCSS when I spoke at the NATO Youth Summit in Budva, Montenegro. Another speaker happened to be Sofia Romansky (a strategic analyst at HCSS) and she told me all about the work HCSS does, which immediately fascinated me. Knowing I would be living in the Hague for my studies, I thought the stars were aligning pretty well.

New Report | Reweaving Silk Roads: The Middle Corridor’s Role in EU Economic Security

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Reweaving Silk Roads examines the Middle Corridor as a strategic lifeline for EU economic security. Stretching from China through the South Caucasus and across the Caspian Sea to Central Asia and Turkey, this route offers a vital alternative to traditional trade corridors amid geopolitical tensions. The study analyzes economic, political, infrastructure, and security dimensions, assessing risks from regional instability and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and explores how the EU can strengthen resilience, diversify supply chains, and foster sustainable regional partnerships.

Student visit | LUC Nexus

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HCSS was pleased to welcome students from LUC Nexus to our office for an in-depth introduction to our work in geopolitics, defence, and security. The student visit was led by Strategic Analysts Fiona DeCuyper and Laura Jasper. HCSS thanks LUC Nexus for their engagement and thoughtful questions. We value opportunities to connect with the next generation of strategic thinkers and look forward to continued collaboration.

Laurence Krakow on working a nine-to-five, critical raw materials and writing her own Snapshot

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Hi! My name is Laurence Krakow and I am from Belgium. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Leiden University, and I am now completing a second degree in Earth Sciences at TU Delft. What initially drew me to HCSS was their research on critical raw materials and their supply chains. I believe it is one of the few think tanks in the Netherlands working on these topics, which really intrigued me. Naturally, HCSS seemed like a good fit.

Sofia Romansky Expert Talk | AI’s Impact on Military Intelligence and Decision-Making

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On Monday, the 9th of February, Sofia Romansky, Strategic Analyst at HCSS and project coordinator for GC REAIM, gave an expert talk at Utrecht University examining the expanding role of AI in defense. She highlighted both its opportunities and the ethical, legal, and operational challenges it presents. Central to the discussion is a crucial question: how should we rethink human agency in an era of increasingly intelligent systems?

New Snapshot | Saudi Arabia’s Mineral Gambit: What the EU Can Learn from Vision 2030

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As global competition over critical raw materials intensifies, the EU’s challenge lies not merely in securing supply, but in strengthening its position within the global minerals value chain. A new HCSS Snapshot by Laurence Krakow explores how Saudi Arabia rapidly transformed itself into a major mining power after launching Vision 2030 in 2016 to diversify its economy beyond oil. What can the EU learn from Saudi Arabia’s approach to strengthen its own mineral strategy?

GC REAIM at the REAIM 2026 Summit

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At the beginning of the month, on February 4-5, 2026, the third global Summit on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) was hosted in A Coruña, Spain. GC REAIM Commissioners and Experts were actively engaged throughout REAIM 2026, advancing practical pathways to turn responsible military AI principles into concrete action.

The HCSS Datalab presents: GINA Information 2.0

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GINA Information is the fourth and final tool released from our Geopolitical Interactive Network Analysis (GINA) series. This tool captures both verbal and material cooperation and conflict events, allowing users to analyse geopolitical signalling based on news data and to explore the latent dynamics of cooperation and contestation that often precede measurable outcomes. It enables policy-makers, researchers, and analysts to examine how states communicate, coordinate, compete, and contest narratives through observable geopolitical events on a dyadic level.

New Report | Win-win Partnerships for Critical Raw Materials: Advancing Europe-West Africa Cooperation 

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“The question is no longer whether West Africa’s critical raw materials sectors will grow, but whether Europe will engage in time and ensure partnerships that genuinely benefit both sides.” This new HCSS report addresses a central challenge facing Europe today: How to build more secure CRM supply chains while supporting sustainable and responsible practices in partner countries? Focusing on Dutch and European engagement with West Africa, the report explores how “win-win” partnerships can align European strategic interest with the ambitions of mineral producing states.

HCSS launches Strategic Negotiations Course

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Starting June 2026, HCSS launches a Strategic Negotiations course for professionals operating at the intersection of business, geopolitics and international affairs. Led by HCSS peace negotiation specialist Sven Koopmans and supported by Executive Director Paul Sinning, Deputy Director Michel Rademaker, and former Dutch Ambassador and diplomatic advisor Kees van Rij – the programme equips mid- to senior-level executives with the insight, tools, and confidence to navigate high-stakes negotiations across cultures, borders, and sectors.

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