In 2025, the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) continued to emerge as a key location within the Euro-Atlantic’s analytical ecosystem, reflecting both our research quality and the growing need for rigorous strategic reflection. CSDS continued to generate policy-relevant analysis on contemporary security and diplomatic challenges, with a particular focus on their implications for Europe. In this sense, in 2025, CSDS did not merely serve as a research centre, but it sought to deepen strategic thought in academia and policy through activities and outreach. CSDS continued to develop its analysis and activities on transatlantic relations, Indo-Pacific dynamics, technology and geopolitics, great-power competition and defence, while hosting flagship initiatives such as the KF-VUB Korea Chair and Japan Chair. Such initiatives underscore CSDS’s function as a bridge between regional security theatres, embedding European debates within wider systemic transformations being brought about by US-China strategic competition.
In 2025, CSDS’s consolidation and maturation are reflected in our output and policy engagement. The Centre has built a steady record of research production, external funding acquisition, events and collaboration with institutions including NATO, the EU, national governments, industry and think tanks. Projects such as the “Future of European Deterrence” illustrate our embeddedness in transatlantic policy networks. 2025 saw the introduction of new approaches, with the Brussels 360 executive course. Such training programmes saw CSDS grow further in 2025, as we seek to nurture the next generation of policy practitioners. Yet, we continued to pursue our traditional activities, including a transatlantic dialogue, a defence and statecraft forum, multiple CSDS Conversations and, of course, the Brussels Indo-Pacific Dialogue.
We would like to thank our sponsors and partners. They have been instrumental in helping us to sharpen and deepen our analytical focus. In 2026, we will remain ambitious, and we have some exciting new initiatives to reveal soon.
In our Annual Report for 2025, CSDS highlights its events, projects, outreach activities and publications.
