As part of Germany’s Presidency of the Intelligence College in Europe in 2026, the Permanent Secretariat was pleased to welcome, on Friday 16 January, the new Director General of Germany’s Federal Internal Service (BfV) Mr Sinan Selen.
The visit provided an opportunity to reaffirm Germany’s strong commitment, both in general and through the BfV in particular. This support is reflected in staffing contributions and regular training courses and is further highlighted this year through Germany’s Presidency of the Intelligence College. The President also reiterated the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation not only at the operational level, but also through strategic dialogue and broader operational exchange, facilitated by the platform the College provides to its European members and partners.
This Presidency includes seven seminars and events throughout the year, including a seminar hosted by the BfV and an Academic Conference. It will also coincide with the election of the College’s first non-French Director. This milestone marks the full maturation and shared European ownership of a project initially launched as a French presidential initiative following the Sorbonne Speech of September 2017, and which has since developed into a lasting, fully European endeavour.
The Permanent Secretariat, and its leadership in particular, warmly thanks the President for his visit and looks forward to working together throughout Germany’s 2026 Presidency.
The ICE Permanent Secretariat warmly congratulates Dr. Lucia Frigo on the successful completion of her PhD thesis, completed in November 2025 at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research explores the timely and highly relevant issue of Euro-British foreign intelligence cooperation in the context of Brexit and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a particular focus on trust and network power in times of crisis.
Please find the abstract below:
Euro-British foreign intelligence cooperation through Brexit and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – trust and network power in times of crisis.
This work investigates how the United Kingdom (UK)’s relationship with the European Union’s framework for foreign intelligence sharing adapted in the decade between 2016 and 2025, through momentous changes such as Brexit and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The goal is to understand the extent and effects of these transformations on the EU intelligence network and on its ability to respond to external threats. To address this puzzle, two questions are asked: how have the relationships between British and EU polities, organisations, and practitioners adapted to these crises on a more granular level? And how well do the current intelligence-sharing channels satisfy the parties’ cooperative needs?
Dr Frigo adopts a socio-relational perspective to conduct a longitudinal network analysis of EU intelligence-sharing in three phases: pre-Brexit, post-Brexit, and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. By presenting the UK as a node in the EU’s deeply interconnected network, Dr. Frigo examines the UK’s changing power in the network, but also the ways in which the relations between London and the network’s hubs (such as IntCen, EUMS INT and SIAC) responded to the transformations. This highlights the key role of trust in intelligence cooperation and offers insightful explanations as to how the network adapted to changes through formal and informal cooperative avenues.
The interdisciplinary study, sitting at the crossroads of International Relations and Law, rests on novel empirical data gathered in 31 elite interviews with current and former intelligence practitioners, diplomats and experts from civil society (from the UK, the EU and its member states). The interview data is then triangulated with desk research conducted on publicly available data. The results challenge the widely held assumption that nothing would change with Brexit, since intelligence was never an EU competence and state-to-state relations would survive unscathed. Instead, this thesis highlights the changes in the UK’s network power, both with regards to the influence of its classified intelligence and to the circulation of its expertise and know-how. At the same time, and from a legal perspective, the study reveals the difficulties of ensuring adequate accountability and oversight when cooperation between the EU and the UK (now a third party) takes place through such informal avenues, and especially in times of crisis.
While bilateral relations and other, non-EU initiatives such as the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) ensure that the UK remains central in its cultural role, the British influence in the network is also maintained through the lower-level relations, namely the inter-personal and interorganisational ties. These relationships, resting on a more reputational interpretation of trust, grant flexibility and resilience to the network. In practice, they ensured that the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was concerted and collaborative even in the absence of an arrangement on EUUK foreign security cooperation. However, whilst these lower-level channels allowed timely cooperation in the short term, the thesis warns about the perils of overly relying on organisational and personal connections in the long term. Analysing the EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership of May 2025 and confronting it with the interviewees’ demands for the future of intelligence cooperation, Dr. Frigo finds that much remains to be done, at the inter-polity level, to offer stability in the long-term relationship.
The thesis’ contribution to the discipline is thus threefold. Empirically, it offers a precise and comprehensive explanation of how the UK’s role in the EU intelligence-sharing network adapted to recent developments, and of how these affected the network’s responses to external threats. Theoretically, this project offers insight on how intelligence alliances overcome crises, through an innovative approach that can delve into the specificities of micro- and macro- cooperative dynamics while subsuming them rigorously in a holistic network perspective. Its socio-relational approach challenges the still dominant neorealist school of intelligence cooperation, revealing the importance of factors such as trust in evolving intelligence alliances. Finally, and based on novel interview data, the thesis offers policy recommendations for the future of the relationship, contributing to inform future negotiations.
The Permanent Secretariat of the Intelligence College in Europe welcomes the start of the German Presidency of the Intelligence College in Europe and its theme, “Intelligence and Science”. Please find here the Presidency letter from Philipp Wolff, Coordinator of the Federal Intelligence Services and Head of Directorate-General 7 at the Federal Chancellery.
Norway is honored to hold the presidency of the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) for 2025. This comes at a time when our collective security is being tested by increasingly complex and evolving threats.
A key priority for Norway is countering terrorism and violent extremism. Like many nations, we have experienced their devastating impact. These threats demand sustained attention, strategic foresight, and international collaboration.
As part of our presidency, we hosted the thematic seminar Tackling Terrorism and Extremism in Europe – Challenges, Strategies and Best Practices in Oslo on 1–2 October 2025.The event brought together 80 participants from 20 ICE member states, fostering dynamic discussions and cross-border learning.
The aim of the seminar was to raise awareness on trends, share academic insights, and strengthen policy development. We were proud to welcome speakers from Norway, the UK, Germany, France, Portugal, Sweden, Europol, and the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, reflecting the depth of our collective commitment to security and intelligence cooperation.
The seminar aimed to focus on emerging trends. Key topics included the shifting threat landscape in Europe, rising polarization, far-right extremism, the role of social media and emerging technologies like AI. Furthermore, the radicalization of minors was addressed.
Discussions emphasized the implications for intelligence and security services, highlighting actionable strategies to address the current problems. Cooperation among various sectors and services remains essential to succeed in preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism. International cooperation is highly important.
This has truly been a collaborative effort, and we are very grateful to our ICE colleagues for all their support in making this a successful event.
The Intelligence College in Europe (ICE / IntelCollege), a key actor within the intelligence community, was honoured to be invited to the 90th anniversary of the DNRED, the French National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations. On Tuesday, 16 September, the Director and Deputy Director of the College’s Permanent Secretariat—both of whom maintain close professional ties to the DNRED from their earlier careers—had the privilege of representing the College at this event.
One of the central themes of this dynamic morning was the fight against organised crime, a major issue at the European level. Beyond the already extensive bilateral cooperation, renewed efforts in minilateral and multilateral partnerships were highlighted as an essential necessity.
The Permanent Secretariat of the Intelligence College in Europe has been contributing to and supporting the activities of the Intelligence Chair at Sciences Po Aix for the past three years. During this time, it has shared with certificate and master’s students insights into the workings of European and EU intelligence, while also presenting the missions of the College in support of a strategic European intelligence culture.
This year, the Intelligence College in Europe was delighted to take part in the launch of the new academic year of the Sciences Po Aix Intelligence Chair!
A warm thank you goes to the new Director of Sciences Po Aix, Dr. Alissia Lefebure, to General Cholley, and to Dr. Walter Bruyère-Ostells of the Intelligence Chair, with whom fruitful discussions were held.
Since this year, the College is proud to count the very dynamic Sciences Po Aix Intelligence Chair as part of its European academic network, alongside 43 other universities and institutions (so far). Sciences Po Aix is one of the four French institutions in this European network. We hope that some of the excellent Sciences Po Aix students will take part in the College’s European competition, or that researchers will respond to the academic call for papers and join the 3rd Academic Conference, which will take place in June 2026 in Germany!
In 2024, Spain, holding the presidency of the Intelligence College in Europe (IntelCollege), addressed a key need raised by the College’s Steering Committee: ensuring that intelligence officers are equipped to understand European structures and to support EU security and intelligence agencies.
To meet this challenge, Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI) launched a high-level postgraduate course in partnership with the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and its renowned Luis Ortega Álvarez Center for European Studies. Delivered in a hybrid format—combining online sessions with in-person classes in Toledo—the programme offers participants an official certification aligned with the European Bologna Framework.
Following the success of the inaugural edition, Spain repeated the initiative in 2024. The second course concluded on Thursday, 11 September, with a certificate ceremony and keynote address by the Secretary General of the CNI, who personally underlined the importance Spain places on this initiative.
This programme stands as a model of cooperation between the intelligence community and academia, directly supporting one of IntelCollege’s core missions: preparing intelligence officers to work effectively together at the European level, whether in minilateral or multilateral formats.
As one of the College’s flagship training programmes, this demanding course fosters a shared knowledge base among participants, deepens their understanding of European institutions, and strengthens the personal and professional bonds that will underpin future cooperation across Europe’s intelligence community.
For the third time in this format, the Academia Națională de Informații “Mihai Viteazul” (ANIMV) of Romania, in cooperation with the European Security and Defence College (ESDC), organised a one-week course on “Strategic Leadership in Security and Intelligence” in Bucharest. The course was open to participants from the Intelligence College in Europe (Intel College).
The Intel College was honoured to open the session on Monday, 22 September, and to contribute with several lecturers. Designed as an interactive and highly practical programme, the course targets high-potential young managers who are preparing to lead units or directorates in complex and high-pressure environments. Particular emphasis was placed on human resources management and interactive workshops, enabling participants from different countries to learn from one another’s experiences.
The Intelligence College in Europe is proud both to support and to benefit from this now well-established ANIMV–ESDC initiative. Since 2023, the course has increasingly reflected a strong European dimension, with lecturers drawn from across the continent, in the true spirit of ESDC and the Intel College.
Coming directly after the Toledo EU Expert Course, this event marked an excellent start to the new academic year of the Intelligence College in Europe, and it stands as a fine example of the fruitful cooperation between the College, the ESDC, and ANIMV in building a genuine European strategic culture.
Multumesc! Our sincere thanks go to our partners at SRI and ANIMV for making this valuable opportunity possible.
From 9 to 11 September 2025, the Joint Annual Conference of the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE) Global and its European Chapter (IAFIE-EC) was hosted at King Juan Carlos University (URJC) in Madrid-Aranjuez.
As in Copenhagen (2023) and Malta (2024), the Intelligence College in Europe (IntelCollege) was once again actively present, drawing on its exceptional Academic Network to showcase the emerging common European intelligence culture. IntelCollege contributed to this renowned intelligence conference on three occasions:
9 September – IntelCollege facilitated the participation of the EU SATCEN Director, who delivered one of the opening keynote speeches, illustrating European cooperation in the fields of GEOINT and IMINT.
10 September – The IntelCollege Academic Network organised the first European Roundtable on the Future of Intelligence Training in Europe. Six senior representatives from five of its 14 Intelligence Education and Training Academies and Centres (Croatia, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Romania) presented their national perspectives, highlighting their engagement with academia and offering IAFIE members a unique insight into their activities.
11 September – The Academic Network hosted a spotlight session dedicated to a Lessons Learned exercise on the publication of the Common European Intelligence Culture special edition of the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence (IJICI, Routledge).
These activities demonstrated the dynamic development of the IntelCollege Academic Network, which is now preparing to launch an Academic Award, establish working groups, publish new research, and host its own ambitious Academic Conference in Munich in 2026.
The Roundtable on intelligence training marked a true “first”: bringing together senior European managers of intelligence training facilities, who traditionally meet bilaterally. The event revealed a clear potential for more regular exchanges among intelligence schools. Members of the Academic Network began discussions on how training institutions facing similar challenges could share lessons learned, how a joint research agenda might foster a common European intelligence culture, and how academic insights could be further integrated into training curricula.
As in Copenhagen and Malta, IAFIE once again provided a unique forum where academics and practitioner-scholars from Europe, the Americas, and beyond could meet, exchange ideas, and foster dialogue in a constructive and collegial atmosphere.
IntelCollege warmly thanks IAFIE Chairwoman Dr. Kathy Pherson, IAFIE European Chapter President Dr. Irena Chiru, and Dr. Rubén Arcos (URJC) for organising such a well-structured and inspiring conference.
👉 For more information on the IntelCollege Academic Award and the Call for Papers, please click here
