Rob de Wijk, founder of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, is one of the Netherlands’ leading experts on geopolitics and international security. His core argument: the global balance of power is shifting rapidly, and the world is becoming more fragmented and unpredictable. States are redefining their interests, alliances are under pressure, and international norms are eroding.
In his recent books he also outlines how technology, energy systems, and infrastructure are becoming central to geopolitical power struggles. Power is no longer exercised only through armies and weapons, but also through data networks, chips, cables, and algorithms.
This has direct relevance for a university of technology: innovations developed here can have strategic, sometimes unintended, consequences. Technologies designed for civilian purposes may also be used for control, surveillance, or warfare — the reality of dual-use. In a world marked by increasing complexity and instability — by a kind of geopolitical entropy — De Wijk offers an informed perspective. His lecture provides essential context for anyone working at the intersection of technology and society.
