Internship offers
The Centre for Security and Defence Studies (CSDS) of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) offers six internship positions for English-, Dutch- and/or French-speaking research interns for the academic year 2025 2026.
Research internship in international relations
Description of the internship:
Each intern will support one of the CSDS researchers within their activities and have the opportunity to contribute to one or more publications as well as to participate in the preparation and organisation of conferences organised by the RHID.
- One intern will contribute to studying the defence and security ties between India and Sub-Saharan Africa within the framework of the Indo-Pacific and Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa research lines. This internship will start in autumn 2025.
- Within the framework of the Defence capabilities and technologies and Eurasia research lines, one intern will contribute to studying the strategic complementarity between innovative SMEs and established industrial groups in the context of the transformation of the defence industry as a result of the war in Ukraine. This internship will take place in either autumn 2025 or spring 2026.
- One intern will contribute to a study on the Baltic Defence Line and its impact on NATO’s doctrine of manoeuvre warfare within the framework of the Security and Defence Architecture and Europe research lines. This internship will start in either autumn 2025 or spring 2026.
- Within the framework of the Non-Arab Muslim World and Middle East and North Africa research lines, one intern will contribute to a research project on Türkiye’s proxy strategies in Syria and the Caucasus as a new intervention model. This internship will take place in spring 2026.
- One intern will contribute to studying the US policy towards the Middle East of the Trump 2.0 administration within the framework of the Middle East and North Africa research line. This internship will take place in spring 2026.
- Within the framework of the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa research line, one intern will contribute to a research project on multilateralism in Africa. This internship will take place in spring 2026.
Required profiles
Holder of a master’s degree or a student in his/her last master’s year in political science or international relations;
Having a strong interest in security- and defence-related matters;
Being able to phrase research questions and search for, collect and interpret open source information;
Having good writing skills in at least one of the RHID’s working languages (i.e., English, Dutch or French);
Language skills closely related to the preferred research position (i.e. Hindi, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Swahili etc.) are a definite asset;
Experience with social networking tools and VOD and/or podcast production is an asset.
Practical details of the internship
The research internship lasts at least three months and at most six months. One of the CSDS researchers will coach the intern during this period. However, no coaching will be provided in July and August.
No financial compensation nor accommodation will be provided to the intern. However, the intern will be allowed to use the military infrastructures (sports infrastructure, catering etc.) and we will try to put the necessary office supplies at the intern’s disposal.
Moreover, neither the Belgian Defence, nor the RHID or the CSDS, will provide any insurance to the intern. Thus, either the intern, their university or their parents will need to provide the intern with a civil liability (or third-party) insurance protecting the intern as well as third parties against personal injury and material damage resulting from accidents at, on the way to and from the internship workplace. The same principle applies for the medical health care insurance.
The intern will also have to undergo a security screening before the start of their internship.
How to apply?
Please send your CV and motivation letter indicating your preferred research topic(s) NLT 08 August 2025 to the CSDS’s deputy director at the following email address: maarten.danckaert@mil.be.
Interviews will take place in August and September.
The candidates who are selected for an interview will be asked to prove their writing skills by presenting a written paper, article or thesis to the jury.