Welcome to CESS
Our office is in the Dutch city of Groningen, but our experts live all over the world. Our mission is to promote transparency, accountability and effectiveness in the field of security.
Security Sector Reform (SSR)
In our programmes we engage in training, research and consultancy, mostly on Security Sector Reform (SSR). We provide SSR training (including training of trainers) and develop training material for practitioners in defence, law enforcement, intelligence and other government agencies, parliament, media and civil society. We teach SSR all over Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Watch our 5-minute video or read our SSR brochure for more information.
CESS News
Winter Course 2013, Ankara: Challenges in Security
2013-02-09
Between 28 January and 8 February 2013, CESS, together with TOBB University of Economy and Technology, in close cooperation with the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, organized a Winter Course entitled "Challenges in Security: Trends, Lessons and Developments" in Ankara. The Winter Course brought together students from various universities in Turkey and abroad, among which: TOBB-ETÜ, Hacettepe, METU and Başkent.
During the highly intensive two-week program, a variety of subjects related to Security Studies were addressed. The first week brought four professors from the International Relations Department of the University of Groningen to Ankara. Professor Jaap de Wilde lectured extensively on securitization theory and the Copenhagen School. Professor Andrej Zwitter addressed the issues of International Humanitarian Intervention and Reconstruction and the paradoxes and lessons (not) learned in the past. Subsequently, Dr Margriet Drent lectured on Strategic Culture, the European Common Security and Defence Policy, and the relations between Turkey, the EU and the role of NATO. At the closing of the week, Dr Sami Faltas lectured on Civil-Military Cooperation and ‘the Whole-of-Government Approach’, for which he used integrated border management as a case study.
In Memoriam: Vasili Tchkoidze
2012-12-31
On 2 November 2012 we were shocked to hear that our Georgian partner and friend Vasili Tchkoidze passed away. Vasili was the President of the Centre for European Integration Studies (CEIS), which has been our partner in our endeavors in Georgia ever since 2005. Like a true Georgian, Vasili was an outstanding host and became very close to all of those from CESS that worked with him. Vasili was a highly respected figure in Georgia, working for the Parliament as well as the University and being one of the key civil society representatives.
Amiable as he was, he will be missed dearly by all who had the pleasure to work with him. In the days after his death, we got numerous messages from Georgia from former participants to our events that expressed the impact that Vasili had on their lives and how much he will be missed. We can only adhere to that and cherish the excellent cooperation and friendship we had with Vasili.
