Mission | Movie | Staff | Board | Sponsors


	Home The Centre Programmes Publications Events Links Contact

The Centre

The Centre for European Security Studies (CESS) is located at Groningen, The Netherlands, near the Faculty of Arts of the University of Groningen.

CESS is an independent research, education and training enterprise dedicated to encouraging informed debate on security matters and to promoting and sustaining democratic structures and processes in foreign and defence policy-making across the whole of Europe. In fulfilment of this aim CESS nurtures and supports the institutions and individuals that attaining these goals requires. Moreover, the Centre encourages international collaborative effort in all its work: in the interest of fostering mutual understanding in the security field (broadly defined), and in the belief that extending and strengthening such understanding is crucial to the evolution of a stable all-European order of civil societies under the rule of law.

Since its establishment in 1993 - by founding Director Peter Volten - CESS has been engaged mainly in the design and delivery of education and training programmes for Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), and has acquired considerable expertise and experience in such activity. Since 1996/97 it has also organised original research on aspects of the politico-military transition in the CEECs (notably on civil-military relations and security-policy making and planning) on the theme of 'shared security' (in a pathbreaking seven-country effort) and on aspects of NATO enlargement (looking at potential candidates' readiness for entry).

Much of CESS's work has been - and still is - conducted within the framework of multi-year programmes. Most of it also involves collaboration with partners in CEECs, governmental agencies or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Programmes are managed by the small Groningen-based staff which recruits knowledgeable speakers, tutors and researchers for the many different types of activity that are arranged (conferences, courses, seminars, workshops and inquiries). The address book of capable academics and analysts, serving officers and officials which it uses for this purpose is one of CESS's most precious assets.

Overall supervision of all CESS activities is the responsibility of a small board; and, the Centre's ability to pursue these activities is dependent on the fund sponsors.

You are here: Home » The Centre