Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

Looking back at the AI Action Summit with Sofia Romansky

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Earlier this week HCSS Strategic Analyst Sofia Romansky spoke at the ‘Military Talks’, an event organised alongside the AI Action Summit. The panel she was on covered ‘Issues related to the development of AI in the military field’. Hear what Sofia had to say about the event and what her key takeaways were.

Fiona De Cuyper joins HCSS as new Strategic Analyst

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HCSS is pleased to announce that Fiona De Cuyper has joined our team as a Strategic Analyst! Fiona: “Understanding our increasingly complex and unpredictable world requires interdisciplinary thinking that connects historical insights with data-driven, forward-looking analysis. At HCSS, I’m eager to learn from and work alongside a team of dedicated experts to bridge the gap between data, strategy, and actionable policy in an era of uncertainty.”

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.