What does the Future of War look like? What lessons can be learned from the current War in Ukraine? Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), the War Studies Research Centre (WSRC) of the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA), the Royal Netherlands Association for War Studies (KVBK) and the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) are pleased to invite you to the symposium “Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War” on May 14th.
- Date: May 14th 2024
- Time: 16.00 – 19.00
- Location: Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP Den Haag
- Registration link
Contrary to the progressive hope that international society had advanced sufficiently so that major war was a phenomenon in decline, this prospect now seems increasingly farfetched. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally shifted our perspective on the nature and character of future war.
War in the 21st century will continue to be a chameleon that takes on different forms and guises. Despite looming large in the collective imagination, the phenomenon of war cannot be reduced to the war in Ukraine alone, as the ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East shows. It is necessary to learn lessons from the war in Ukraine, but not lose sight of many parallel social, military, technological and related developments that will characterise future wars.
During the symposium, international experts from the War Studies field consider the impact of the war in Ukraine on the broader social phenomenon of war: they analyse visions of future war; examine the impact of technological innovation; assess our ability to anticipate this future; and consider lessons learned for students and practitioners of strategy.
While this is an open event, we kindly request that you register in advance to secure your spot, as seating is limited.
Program overview
15.30 – 16.00: Doors open, programme starts at 16.00 sharp.
16.00 – 16.05: Welcome and introduction by Ernst Dijxhoorn (Assistant Professor in the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University).
16.05 – 16.45: Fireside chat about the Future of War with Tim Sweijs and Jeffrey H. Michaels, moderated by Rob de Wijk (Professor of International Relations at Leiden University and founder of HCSS).
16.45 – 17.45: Round Table moderated by Isabelle Duyvesteijn (Professor of International Studies and Global History at Leiden University), with:
- Kraesten Arnold (Assistant Professor of Cyber Operations at the Netherlands Defence Academy);
- Marijn Hoijtink (Associate Professor in International Relations at the Department of Political Science at the University of Antwerp);
- Jan Willem Honig (Professor of International Security at the Netherlands Defence Academy);
- Paul van Hooft (Senior Strategic Analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies);
- Frans Osinga (Professor in War Studies at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University)
18.00 – 19.30: Drinks Reception (Optional); Bar & Restaurant Pavlov, Spui 173
Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War
This event acts as the official book launch of Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War, edited by Tim Sweijs (HCSS Director of Research and a senior research fellow at the War Studies Research Centre of the Netherlands Defence Academy.) and Jeffrey H. Michaels (IEN Senior Fellow in American Foreign Policy and International Security at the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals).
The edited volume is one of the spinoffs of The Future of War Conference hosted by the War Studies Research Centre at the Netherlands Defence Academy in collaboration with the Changing Character of War Centre of the University of Oxford University in Amsterdam from 5–7 October 2022.
Offering the first comprehensive update and revision of ideas surrounding the future of warfare since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the book includes analyses from renowned international experts from the War Studies field.
Please join us in the opportunity to interact with several authors during the symposium on May 14, where they will delve deeper into the insights offered in their chapters.
Related Content
