Karen van Loon

Karen van Loon is a Research Fellow at Clingendael's Security and Defence Programme, where she specializes in Arctic geopolitics and broader security and defence issues. 

Before joining Clingendael, Karen was a Researcher in the European Affairs Programme at the Egmont Institute. She has also held roles as an Educational Assistant at the Political Science Department of KU Leuven Kulak and as a Lecturer in the Master of Teaching Programme at the University of Antwerp. 

She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium.

Karen holds an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Antwerp and both an MA and BA in Eastern-European Languages and Cultures from the University of Ghent. Her research interests focus on Arctic geopolitics, arms control, and nuclear non-proliferation.