Our Mission
The Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) is an interdisciplinary research center at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn in the field of strategic foresight, European and security policy research. Committed to the approach "Global Challenges Need European Responses", CASSIS contributes in interdisciplinary and inter-institutional work to develop, evaluate and publicly discuss European strategies to current challenges in the field of foreign and security policy.
Our Partners
Since 2019, CASSIS has developed into an important platform for the transfer of academic expertise and knowledge on pressing strategic topics both to the academic and non-academic audiences through a range of our research and high-profile teaching and event formats. While doing so, we were able to receive invaluable support from our great partners. CASSIS is very grateful to their support and we are proud to be well connected to many wonderful institutions. Together with our valued and trusted partners, we are able to foster discussions on matters of strategic importance near and abroad and jointly conduct and advance important research projects.
Current
Dossier Ukraine
The experts of CASSIS offer in various formats from their interdisciplinary perspectives classification and analysis on the Russian attack on Ukraine and its background.
The International Security Forum Bonn 2023
From 19 October to 22 October 2023, ISFB will be held for the eighth time in person on the premises of the University of Excellence Bonn as the most important international security conference in North Rhine-Westphalia and all neighboring federal states.
Our Focus
Research at CASSIS revolves around a broad conception of security: On the one hand, the focus lies on the interdisciplinary examination of traditional foreign and security issues such as inter-state conflicts, competing international systems of order and a return of geopolitics. On the other hand, researchers examine non-traditional security challenges such as cyber and energy security, terrorism and human security, focusing in particular on health and food security.
Integrated Security and Global Sustainability
Lead: Prof. Dr. Volker Kronenberg
Prof. Dr. Wolfram Hilz
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schlie
Security and Strategy Research
Henry Kissinger Professorship for Security and Strategy Research
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schlie
Global Infrastructures
Politics and Governance of Global Infrastructures
Lead:
Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer
Challenge East - Handlungsstrategien der Europäer in der östlichen Nachbarschaft
Lead: Prof. Dr. Wolfram Hilz Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinemann-Grüder
The Steering Committee of the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies at the University of Bonn recently met. As part of the Steering Committee meeting, the current CASISS directors were re-elected. In addition, two new voting members of the Steering Committee were elected. Our warmest congratulations!
CASSIS was strongly represented at the International Studies Association (ISA) 2024 this year. Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, PD Dr. Ante Nötzold, Yen-Chi Lu, Philip Nock, Nelson Quame and Maximilian Schranner took part in the largest and most important annual conference in the field of international relations with various contributions.
The new transdisciplinary CASSIS publication series "Security, Strategy & Innovation" aims to make an innovative contribution to the German and European security policy debate. It brings together forward-looking perspectives, strategically important topics and pioneering conceptual and methodological approaches. The series, which is published by Springer VS, kicks off with the anthology "Strategic Competition in Space: Politics, Law, Security and Economics in Space". The volume is edited by PD Dr. Antje Nötzold (Research Associate at the Chair of International Politics at Chemnitz University of Technology and Senior Fellow at CASSIS), Dr. Enrico Fels (Managing Director of CASSIS), Andrea Rotter (Head of Department for Foreign and Security Policy at a political foundation) and Dr. Moritz Brake (Senior Fellow at CASSIS).
NATO celebrated its 75th birthday on 4 April 2024. Since its foundation in 1949, the number of its member states has grown from twelve to 32, and the global political context and the public's assessment of NATO have changed significantly. Its anniversary is the occasion for the lecture series "75 Years of NATO", organised by the Henry Kissinger Professorship at CASSIS at the University of Bonn and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Against the backdrop of the latest turning point in the organisation's history, Russia's attack on Ukraine, the lecture series take a look on the current secruity situation in an exchange with international experts from practice and academia.
The University of Cantabria, the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS, University of Bonn) and the Spanish Network for Development Studies (REEDES), with the sponsorship of the BBVA Foundation and AECID, have jointly organized a summer school on "The Geography of Hunger in a Multi-Crisis World", which will take place from 26.08. - 30.08.2024 in Santander. The event arises from a research project of the interdisciplinary research project "The Geography of Hunger and Famine in a Multi-Crisis World".
Mando Gloger, research assistant to Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer at CASSIS, had the opportunity to take part in the Next Forum in Milan. As part of the student contingent of the U7+ Alliance, a global university network from 20 countries, he represented the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn in Milan. Founded in addition to the G7, the presidents of the universities of the U7+ Alliance meet annually in the run-up to the G7 conferences to explore solutions and potential for cooperation between universities in response to global challenges.
We are pleased to announce that the renowned Russia expert and CASSIS Fellow Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinemann-Grüder has received funding from the German Foundation for Peace Research for a research project starting in April 2024 on the topic of "Thinking the war from the end. Insights for the Ukraine War", which will run from April 2024, from the German Foundation for Peace Research. Our warmest congratulations!
CASSIS Director Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schlie took part in a discussion on the strategic challenges of the future as a speaker at the IABG Executive Conference. A particular focus was on the significance of the US election in November 2024.
CASSIS Fellow and former ambassador James Bindenagel talks about the upcoming US elections.
In an interview with Phoenix, CASSIS Fellow Dr. Frank Umbach discusses the Chinese President's state visit to France and Olaf Scholz's visits to Latvia and Lithuania.
CASSIS Fellow Dr. habil. Landry Charrier assesses the current European elections in France and the role of the Rassemblement National in his guest article for FOCUS online.
CASSIS Fellow and maritime security expert Dr. Moritz Brake analyses the significance of the mission of the frigate Hessen.
Security expert and CASSIS Fellow Dr. Frank Umbach analyses the circle of power around Russian President Putin in an interview with NTV.
CASSIS Fellow Prof. Dr. Heinemann-Grüder in an interview with Ö1-Mittagsjournal on the Russian Wagner Group.
In an interview with WELT, CASSIS Fellow Dr. Frank Umbach assesses Germany's current energy policy against the backdrop of the figures presented by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck.
In an interview with phoenix, CASSIS Director Prof. Dr. Volker Kronenberg (political scientist) gave an insight into the current espionage case involving Maximilian Krah.
Events
CASSIS offers a wide range of events on current foreign and security policy issues.
In his new specialist publication, PD Dr. Hüseyin Çiçek sheds light on how the AKP is increasingly relying on soft power as a power mechanism alongside established political alliances in order to promote its interests internationally. Particular attention is paid to addressing and integrating the Turkish diaspora through emotional and cultural ties. The analysis also touches on the impact of the AKP's minority policy on its foreign policy ambitions.
For the first time since the end of the Cold War, this anthology takes stock of the current activities, legal framework, political and military lines of conflict and areas of cooperation as well as further trends and challenges in space. On the one hand, the legal, military, economic and technological challenges of the growing importance of this strategically important area are analyzed. On the other hand, the ability and need for action of selected space powers, their cooperation possibilities and conflict potentials as well as the need for international political regulation are worked out and, based on this, political recommendations for action are presented.
The Bonn Future Lab on Strategic Foresight took place as the second segment of the International Security Forum Bonn 2023 from October 20-22, 2023 in the UN and federal city of Bonn. Over the course of the multi-day format, the strategic challenges, risks and opportunities arising from the changing energy landscape were discussed and the resulting future prospects for German and European energy policy were examined.
In her new publication, PD Dr. Antje Nötzold sheds light on the increased importance of space as a new domain of warfare in the Ukraine war. In particular, she focuses on the role of private sector actors in the course of the developments surrounding "New Space".
The Bonn Vision Lab 2030 brought together young scientists at CASSIS to share their visions for the coming years. The results and methodology of the workshop were summarized in the report.
Dr Landry Charrier talks about the growing strength of the Rassemblement National in the Franco-German dialogue. He warns of the consequences that a strong showing by the right-wing populists in the European elections in June could have, focusing in particular on France's relationship with Germany.
CASSIS Fellow Dr Johanna Möhring discusses the problems of Franco-German armaments cooperation and develops four scenarios for its future development.
CASSIS Fellow Dr Johanna Möhring analyses Russia's ambitions in the Ukraine war.
CASSIS - Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn