Global Trends
The first seminar of the High Studies for Security and Defence (HSSD) in 2026 had ‘global trends’ as its theme.
The session got off to a strong start on Friday morning with a lecture by Prof. Dr David Crieckemans on the security consequences of the energy transition. Countries are growing increasingly dependent on critical raw materials, which could potentially lead to new geopolitical tensions.
The keynote speaker of this seminar, Mr Herman Van Rompuy, gave a lecture on the place of the EU in international politics. He shared his experiences as former President of the European Council in an impressive manner. Of course, a group photo with this prominent figure was a must.
Mr Bernard Michel, one of the auditors, was given the opportunity to talk about his experiences and role during the 2016 terrorist attacks. He also spoke more generally on the Belgian counter-terrorist approach.
A lecture on drug crime by Ine Van Wymersch, the National Drug Commissioner, proved to be an eye-opener for our auditors. Ine’s approach was all the more surprising given that she advocates for a warm society as an antidote to organised drug crime.
Another insightful and interesting moment was the presentation of the book Land van valse beloften (“land of false promises”), by its author, Inge Vrancken (who also happens to be an auditor in the current session). Inge is a journalist at VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster, and focuses mainly on the Middle East. In her book, she sheds light on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which often seems too complex to understand. She touches upon the causes of the conflict, the concerned parties and possible solutions. Every auditor received a copy of the book as a New Year’s gift – signed by the author, of course!
The most topical theme of the seminar was probably the geopolitical threats posed by artificial intelligence. AI technology can indeed accelerate the spread of disinformation and election manipulation, which puts democratic stability under pressure. On Friday evening, the auditors enjoyed the annual New Year’s reception of the HSSD, to which several guests were also invited. In an informal atmosphere, everyone present reflected on the past year. Admiral Baudouin Coppieters, Director-general of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID), was present as well and gave a short speech on the importance of training for the Belgian Defence. This was followed by a joint dinner.
