Clingendael network member of the European Security and Defense College

In June of 2025 the European Security and Defense College (ESDC) welcomed the Clingendael Institute as an official member of its network. The ESDC is an autonomous EU body which provides training and education in the field of the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), ensuring that civilian, diplomatic, police and military personnel are fully prepared to adapt to and address existing and emerging security challenges effectively.

As a first contribution to this mission, Clingendael Academy and Research experts supported the Netherlands Defense College (IDL) in organizing the second module of the so-called CSDP High Level Course, which took place from November 9 until November 14, 2025 in the Hague, and focused on how European defense capabilities can be strengthened through cooperation between EU-member states. Senior civilian and military professionals representing a multitude of EU-member states and institutions learned about the European security and defense architecture and the EU’s integrated approach to CSDP in missions and operations by participating in this course.

Subsequently, and upon the ESDC’s invitation, Clingendael contributed to this year’s Annual Training and Education Conference, which was organized at the Royal Egmont Palace in Brussels on November 24 and November 25, 2025, by facilitating a workshop on the evaluation of training in CSDP. During this workshop representatives of dozens of network members and EU institutions reflected on how to further develop evaluation and learning of training and education outcomes for the EU’s missions and operations.

Clingendael looks forward to continued cooperation with the ESDC and its various network members in the coming years.