Centre for International Security

ICE raids, rapid hiring, and incentives for loyalty - what do they mean? We’re proud to see our postdoctoral researcher Christian Gläßel (Hertie School’s Centre for International Security) featured in DIE ZEIT alongside Adam Scharpf University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet). Their guest article examines the troubling dynamics behind the rapid expansion of ICE under the Trump administration, drawing parallels to recruitment patterns seen in authoritarian regimes. Last week’s news from Chicago - a daycare raid and arrests by masked ICE officers - highlights how civilian enforcement is becoming increasingly militarised. Gläßel and Scharpf warn that the agency’s aggressive hiring practices, incentives for loyalty, and weakened oversight risk creating an institution driven less by law than by careerist incentives and fear of dismissal. Drawing on their research on Argentina’s 1976–83 dictatorship, where they find that officers with limited career prospects were disproportionately funneled into secret police units, they reveal a systematic logic: repressive institutions often rely on "ordinary men" motivated by career advancement rather than political conviction. Modern-day authoritarian drift, they argue, can unfold incrementally through HR and recruitment policies - making personnel management profoundly political. 📖 Read more: https://lnkd.in/d4vvTHyq Their forthcoming book, Making a Career in Dictatorship: The Secret Logic Behind Repression and Coups (Oxford University Press, 2026), will explore these dynamics across regimes: https://lnkd.in/dYHEykaD

We were thrilled to host William Klein, Consulting Partner at FGS Global, for our career spotlight session yesterday! William shared his unique journey from investment banking in Germany → senior U.S. diplomat serving in China, India, the Middle East, and Ukraine → strategic consultancy guiding global clients through complex geopolitical landscapes. He spoke to our students about: 🔹 The value of expertise and specialization 🔹 Essential skills: communication, writing, and analytical thinking 🔹 Opportunities in geopolitical strategy and consultancy 🔹 Preparing for a changing landscape shaped by AI Thank you, William, for an inspiring session full of practical advice for our students!

Applications Now Open - Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships (2026/27) The Centre for International Security invites applications for our Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships. The program supports early-career scholars conducting policy-relevant research on nuclear security during a year-long residency at the Centre in Berlin beginning September 2026. Eligibility: Post-doctoral researchers and tenure-track junior faculty from fields such as nuclear policy, security, international relations, engineering, physics, and related disciplines (including those with a terminal law degree). Stipend: 🔹 Post-doctoral: €87,575 🔹 Junior faculty: €118,790 🗓️ Deadline: 1 January 2026 Funded by The Stanton Foundation, the fellowship supports the next generation of leaders in nuclear security research. 👉 Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dBWgC7He

We’re delighted to announce that The Stanton Foundation has awarded a major new grant to the Hertie School's Centre for International Security, further solidifying our role as a leading European hub for nuclear security research, outreach and education. Starting next year, the grant will fund annually: 🔹 Two Stanton Fellowships for post-docs or tenure-track junior faculty 🔹 The Frank Stanton Distinguished Visiting Chair, bringing senior scholars to Berlin for cutting-edge research and transatlantic collaboration Professor Marina Henke highlights: “We are enormously grateful to the Stanton Foundation for their trust in us. This investment allows the centre to grow into a truly unique hub of nuclear security research, connecting scholars across Europe and the world.” This renewed support deepens our long-standing partnership with The Stanton Foundation and will help us expand our transatlantic network, drive high-impact research, and advance policy-relevant scholarship on European nuclear issues. Read More → https://lnkd.in/dNega9gP Learn more about our Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships → https://lnkd.in/dBWgC7He

If you’re a despot with cash, there’s a Western PR firm to polish your image. A new study by our Postdoctoral Researcher Christian Gläßel, co-authored with Alexander Dukalskis and Adam Scharpf, provides the first systematic insight into how authoritarian regimes use US-based PR firms to shape their image abroad. Drawing on over 7,000 contracts from 1945 to 2022, the authors show that collaborations between dictatorships and PR firms have grown fivefold since 1940 - allowing even the most repressive regimes to present themselves as modern, stable, and legitimate global actors. 📊 The authors find three key motivations for hiring PR firms: 🔹 Highlighting achievements – Boosting international image ahead of major events, like Beijing in 2008 and 2022. 🔹 Countering critics – Deflecting scrutiny, e.g., Assad’s Syria hired firms to portray the regime as modern and stable. 🔹 Stabilising support – Maintaining political and financial backing during unrest, e.g., Egypt after the 2013 coup. To curb these practices, the study calls for greater transparency – through registers like the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) – and stricter ethical standards to prevent PR firms from taking on authoritarian business. 📖 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dU8gwDzf Access the full study in Security Studies: https://lnkd.in/dyUXFPUZ Photo by CharlesFred (Flickr), adapted.

⏳ Happening tomorrow! Don’t miss this fascinating research talk. 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dise8SeE

🚨 We’re hiring a PhD student! The Centre for International Security at the Hertie School (Berlin) is looking for a new PhD student to join us starting September 2026. We welcome applications from candidates with an excellent Master’s degree in: 🎓 Economics | Law | Political Science | Sociology | Data Science | Public Administration | Management | or related fields. 📊 This year, we are particularly interested in candidates conducting quantitative research on digital authoritarianism, state repression, contentious politics online, and social movements in the digital age. That said, proposals from other research areas within international security will also be considered. 👉 Learn more about the PhD program: https://lnkd.in/emuaFCUK 📝 Apply here by 31 January 2026: https://lnkd.in/e4DKJytJ

🚨 Calling all Hertie School MIA students! Applications for the 2026 Model NATO Event are now open! The Centre for International Security is thrilled to announce the next edition of our NATO Model Event - a dynamic simulation of the North Atlantic Council, guided by representatives from NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT). This is your chance to: ✅ Step into the shoes of a diplomat and engage in real-world international negotiations ✅ Build consensus across diverse perspectives ✅ Receive direct feedback and career insights from NATO experts Who can apply? 📚 1st and 2nd-year MIA students (priority to International Security concentration) ❌ Students who participated in previous simulations are not eligible 📅 Event date: Saturday, 7 March 2026 How to apply: 📩 Submit your CV and complete the questionnaire by 5 December 2025: https://lnkd.in/dSex9Tqc

"Nuclear weapons are back with a vengeance." This stark opening from Vipin Narang, Professor of Nuclear Security and Political Science at MIT SSP (Security Studies Program), captures a sobering reality facing global security today. Nuclear weapons are back on the agenda of media coverage, high-level consultations, and public consciousness. As the world enters a new nuclear age, an unprecedented set of revisionist nuclear challengers are modernizing their nuclear arsenal while simultaneously making open threats of the employment of nuclear weapons to achieve their aims. During his visit to the Hertie School for our annual Nuclear Security Workshop, Professor Narang discussed why nuclear security demands renewed attention - and what steps can help the international community navigate this evolving landscape. ▶️ Check out what we do as part of our Stanton-funded project "Raising the Nuclear IQ for a New Nuclear Age": https://lnkd.in/emZP5ZQr

👇 Check out our faculty member Prof. Anita Gohdes’ course “States and the control of cyberspace” and her approach to teaching students at the Hertie School! 💻🌐