The 21st session of the High Studies for Security and Defence began on Friday 18 September 2026. This course is also informally known as the ‘fourth cycle’.

From now on, in the light of the success of previous years, 35 men and women (known as ‘auditors’) will take part each month, from September to June, in a two-day residential seminar. Each of these ten sessions will focus on a different geopolitical and/or strategic theme.

In addition, the 12 military auditors and 23 representatives from industry, the banking and investment sectors, politics, the police, NGOs, the magistracy, the diplomatic service and various Belgian federal public services (FPSs) will make at least one visit each month to critical infrastructure sites, FPSs, the Belgian Defence, the defence industry and numerous other relevant institutions. The aim is to gain a clear insight into what Belgium has to offer and to understand how institutions – and, above all, people – across the various sectors can collaborate within the fields of security and defence.

The first seminar focused on the fundamental concepts required to establish the right framework for the course ahead. In addition to this first opportunity for auditors to get to know one another, the annual programme and various introductory topics were discussed, including strategy, geopolitics, international relations and the history of Belgium viewed from the perspective of our foreign policy. In short, the tone has been set. The next seminar will focus on the major strategic visions and power dynamics in the world.