Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

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.

Philippe van Pappelendam on the day-to-day as an intern, project work, and putting theory into practice

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Hello there, my name is Philippe! I come from the Netherlands however I have lived abroad for most of my life. Having lived in 6 different countries on three different continents has made me almost predictably curious in world affairs. Particularly about why people, states, and other international organisations act the way they do. My chosen studies confirmed my interests and were a phenomenal way to get to know the field as well as providing me with an interdisciplinary background which proved to be very important at HCSS!

Event Recap | The Future World Order

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On December 11, 2024, HCSS organised the third and final The Hague Strategic Foresight Forum Talks, titled: ‘The Future World Order’. In our second event, experts concluded that inequality lies at the heart of rising global tensions. The recent re-election of Donald Trump, running on the ‘America First’ platform, means this message will most likely be placed on the back burner, with strategic competition between the US and China taking centre stage. Leading experts in the field Michael Mazarr, John Lee and Roberta Haar explored key global challenges and what this means for the future world order from a North American, Southeast Asian and European perspective.

Thijs van Aken on serious gaming, office culture and cementing his interest in security

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Hey! My name is Thijs, born and raised here in the Netherlands. Before joining HCSS, I first completed my BSc in Political Science with a specialisation in International Relations and Organisations at Leiden University. Last summer, I completed my MSc in Governance of Radicalism, Extremism and Terrorism, also at Leiden University. Throughout my studies, I developed a specific interest in both the future of European security and defence, and national security questions related to radicalisation and extremism. Given my broad interests and background, I was looking for a way to discover what topics I wanted to continue with next. The general internship of HCSS looked like an ideal way to do so!