The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

HCSS is a knowledge institute that conducts independent research. Our goal is to offer fact-based analysis of the challenges that our societies face in order to inform public discourse, public and private strategic decision making and contribute to international and national security in accordance with liberal democratic values.

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Latest Research

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  • Rob de Wijk | Position Paper Defensienota 2026: Bijdrage voor het rondetafelgesprek met de Tweede Kamer

    Op 23 september neemt HCSS oprichter Prof. Dr. Rob de Wijk deel aan een rondetafelgesprek in de Tweede Kamer over de nieuwe Defensienota 2026. Ter voorbereiding schreef hij een position paper, waarin hij benadrukt dat de verslechterende veiligheidssituatie vraagt om versnelling van de versterking van de Nederlandse krijgsmacht. Hij gaat onder meer in op de concrete inrichting en planning van Defensie, snellere materieelverwerving, hybride dreigingen en het belang van een bredere benadering van nationale weerbaarheid en ‘total defence’.

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  • Strategic by design: Making EU development cooperation work for critical raw materials

    New HCSS policy brief: The EU’s critical raw material partnerships need to move from political agreements to investable, mutually beneficial supply chains, write Irina Patrahau, Fiona De Cuyper and Isis Ketelaar. Development cooperation can provide the enabling conditions, from infrastructure and skills to governance and environmental safeguards. The next EU budget offers a crucial opportunity to better align development and CRM financing.

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  • Global Health Data in a Shifting International Order: Risks and Implications for Small and Middle Powers

    Health data sharing has long underpinned global pandemic preparedness, early warning systems and vaccine development. Yet, as US-PRC rivalry intensifies, health data is increasingly treated as a strategic asset, reshaping patterns of international cooperation. This snapshot by Noemie Jacq examines how great power competition is transforming global health governance and the implications for Small and Middle Powers (SMPs), which remain structurally dependent on effective multilateral systems. Drawing on the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it identifies three key risks for SMPs: informational, technological and distributional, and considers how fairer and more resilient systems for health data sharing can be established.

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  • Gemeenten onder druk: Veiligheidsuitdagingen in kleinstedelijke en plattelandsgemeenten

    Hoe blijven kleinstedelijke en plattelandsgemeenten de komende tien tot vijftien jaar grip houden op een steeds complexere veiligheidsopgave? In deze nieuwe HCSS-verkenning laten Thijs van Aken en Gerben Bakker zien waar de grootste drukpunten ontstaan en welke keuzes nodig zijn om de samenwerking tussen gemeenten en politie toekomstbestendig te maken.

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  • Think First, Prompt Second: HCSS Code of Conduct for the Responsible Use of Generative AI

    Generative AI is reshaping research, offering new opportunities to enhance analysis, creativity and innovation. To help researchers harness these technologies responsibly, HCSS has launched its Code of Conduct for the Responsible Use of Generative AI, centred on the principle “Think First, Prompt Second”. The Code outlines eight practical guidelines that promote critical thinking, transparency, confidentiality and research integrity, while encouraging experimentation and continuous learning. It provides a balanced framework for integrating AI into research workflows, ensuring that human judgement remains at the core of knowledge production.

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  • HCSS Publieksmonitor Maatschappelijke Stabiliteit | Hoofdlijnen Zomerpeiling 2026

    Nederlanders geven de maatschappelijke stabiliteit opnieuw een 6,1, maar achter dit stabiele cijfer groeit de maatschappelijke verdeeldheid, blijkt uit de HCSS Publieksmonitor Maatschappelijke Stabiliteit. De nieuwe Zomerpeiling laat zien dat zorgen verschuiven van geopolitieke dreigingen naar binnenlandse spanningen, terwijl migratie het meest bepalende thema blijft. Lees nu de belangrijkste bevindingen en aanbevelingen.

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Trending Topics

Find out what we are currently working on.

Link to: Europe in the Indo-Pacific

Europe in the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the new epicentre of geopolitical competition. Europe has begun its own tilt towards the Indo-Pacific, yet it remains unclear what specific role Europeans should play. HCSS brings together scholars, experts and practitioners across Europe, Asia, as well as East-Africa and the US.

Latest Research
Link to: Strategic Stability: Deterrence and Arms Control

Deterrence and Arms Control

Questions of deterrence and arms control have become more complicated over the past decade, driven by intensified geopolitical competition, by emerging technologies, or refinements in existing technologies. Today, the arms control regime of the Cold War is in trouble. How can Europe shape a reinvigorated arms control regime?

Latest Research
Link to: Initiative on the Future of Transatlantic Relations

Transatlantic Relations

In the HCSS Initiative on the Future of Transatlantic Relations, we study the history and evolution of the transatlantic relationship, looking to understand the deeper ideas and structures behind the changes in the U.S.-European relationship.

Latest Research
Link to: On Future War

On Future War

The nature of war endures, even as its character transforms. Today’s conflicts merge kinetic, connected, and synthetic dimensions. By bridging the perspectives of traditionalists and futurists, we seek to understand both high-tech and low-tech conflict, offering insights that help policymakers navigate an increasingly complex and contested security environment.

Latest Research
Link to: Energy Security

Energy Security

The energy transition is changing the architecture of economies by replacing the traditional fuels with new energy carriers. In this transition period, balancing the conventional energy system with the low-carbon one presents challenges for governments and companies alike. HCSS seeks to understand, analyse and address pressing geo-economic and geopolitical issues induced by the energy transition.

Latest Research
Link to: Nationale Veiligheid en Weerbaarheid

Nationale Veiligheid en Weerbaarheid

HCSS onderzoekt hoe Nederland weerbaar blijft in een tijd van polarisatie, hybride dreigingen, georganiseerde misdaad en internationale spanningen. Met diepgaande analyses voor o.a. de Nederlandse Politie brengen we maatschappelijke kwetsbaarheden, beïnvloeding en lokale veiligheidsdynamieken scherp in beeld.

Latest Research

About The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

HCSS conducts research on geopolitical, defence & security issues to governments, international institutions and businesses. We combine broad conceptual knowledge, qualitative and quantitative methods and present our findings in the form of recommendations, strategic explorations and scenario analyses.

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HCSS Datalab Internship (start October-November 2026)

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De Strateeg: Hoe kunnen we de Noordzee strategisch optimaal benutten?

De Strateeg: ‘Bedrijven moeten zich meer uitspreken over geopolitieke kwesties’

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