Presenting our Fall/Winter 2026 HCSS Intern Cohort!
Twice a year HCSS opens its intern applications, spring/Summer Interns (February – August), and Fall/Winter interns (August – February).
Our interns come from all over the world and work on a wide range of topics at HCSS. The intern coordinators are Benedetta Girardi and Fiona De Cuyper.
General interns:
Daniel Somart – 23 years old and from the Netherlands, but he grew up abroad for most of his life. He is currently in his final year of his bachelor’s in Security Studies at Leiden University. Previously, he completed an internship at the Dutch National Youth Council (NJR), The Counterterrorism Group, and the Dutch Embassy in Ethiopia. He has published a few articles on international security topics for the JASON institute. His research interests include the fragmentation of the international order, the securitization of irregular migration, and the climate–conflict nexus.
Ethan Mansfield – 23 years old and originally from the United States, but he has also lived in Uruguay and the United Kingdom. He studied Social and Economic History at the University of Edinburgh and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at Leiden University. His research interests cover a broad range of topics, including hybrid warfare, the Russo-Ukrainian war, EU security and infrastructure, as well as issues related to Latin America.
Isabella van der Looy – 24 years old and Dutch Australian. She has spent most of her life living in Melbourne. She completed a double degree in Science and International Relations and she had the opportunity to study in China where she gained a deep interest in the Indo-Pacific region as well as in maritime security particular in the South China Sea. She is currently doing a master’s in International Relations at Leiden University. She is interested in Indo-pacific security and great power competition. She is keen to learn more about critical raw materials and how they shape geopolitical competition.
John Comins – 25 years old and originally from Spain. He is doing an International Relations Master at Leiden University, specializing in global conflict. He did his bachelor’s at The University of Manchester where he studied Politics and Russian. During this time he was able to undertake a year abroad in Russia, which took place in 2022 and coincided with the outbreak of the war, where he was able to witness at the events unfold in person, in St Peterburg. This experience cemented his interest in conflict and serves as a key point in the trajectory that leads me here today. His interest and expertise lie in the Russia-Ukrainian war and Russia/Eastern Europe more generally.
Paul Stam – 19 years old and from Utrecht. In 2023 he moved to Rotterdam for his bachelor’s in economics at Erasmus University, which he later combined with a second bachelor’s in philosophy. This summer he graduated with a thesis on the return of European Industrial Policy, focusing on how state aid tools and procedures fell short in creating a sustainable Battery Manufacturing Champion in Germany and Sweden in spite of its prominence on the European agenda.
Sophie Tinselboer – 22 years old and from the Netherlands. In 2022 she moved to Rotterdam for her bachelor’s at Erasmus University College. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and Governance at the University of Amsterdam. In 2025 she completed her bachelor’s in Political Science & International relations, and she did her exchange at Sciences Po Paris in the fall of 2024. Her main topics of interests are in the domains of national security (specifically with the focus on extremism and radicalization), perceptions of justice and negotiation / conflict mediation techniques.
Veerlie Tielemans – 22 years old and from the Netherlands. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Leiden University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the same field. During her studies, she had the opportunity to study abroad in the UK at the University of Exeter, where she focused on foreign and environmental policy. Before joining HCSS, she completed an internship at the Ministry of Defence. There, she taught military personnel in training and developed crisis scenarios. This internship spared my interests in defence and hybrid threats. She is interested in foreign policy and transatlantic relations.
Cyberschool intern:
Paul Spangenberg – 25 years and from South Africa. He grew up in Stellenbosch where he also completed his bachelor’s in International Relations, majoring in Political Science and International Relations. He then worked at the South African Navy, where he conducted archival research on diplomatic missions as well as historical combat operations. Currently, he is completing his master’s in International Relations at Leiden University, specialising in Global Conflict in the Modern Era. His research interest are broadly African political economy and conflict, maritime security, naval diplomacy, Europe-Africa relations and Cyber security capacity building.
Datalab interns:
Chiara Barontini – 26 years old and from Italy, the seaside part of Rome. She ended up in the Netherlands, in Tilburg, almost by chance, and then she liked it so much that she decided to stay longer and look for an internship here. She is currently finishing her MSc in Data Science and Management, and she did her bachelor’s in Economics, Politics and Social Sciences.
Octaviana Cheteles – 24 years old and from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She came to the Netherlands in 2021 for her Bachelor’s degree in Technical Computer Science at the University of Twente. She liked the whole experience so much that she decided to stay for her master’s as well and specialize in Data Science. During her study years, she kept herself busy with a lot of activities and she discovered that she liked negotiating and the domain of geopolitics and defence.
Water, Peace & Security (WPS) intern:
Lennard Czeschka – 25 years old and originally from Germany. This internship is his last step to finish his bachelor’s in Political Sciences. Before joining HCSS, he finished his bachelor’s on the Turkish military invention in Libya between 2019 and 2020, where he did qualitive research on Erdoğans beliefs and perceptions. His interest revolve around Middle Eastern and Sahel culture and politics, as well as Geopolitics, Conflict Resolution and Mediation and Security Politics.
Related Content
