On December 10^th, the sixth edition of “A Thesis for National Security” prize ceremony, promoted by the Security Intelligence Department (DIS) took place in Rome, at the headquarters of the Italian Intelligence System. The event was attended by Alfredo Mantovano, the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Delegated Authority for the Security of the Republic, the Director General of DIS, Elisabetta Belloni and the Directors of the Italian Intelligence Agencies.

The award aims at bringing the younger generation closer to the world of intelligence, promoting and encouraging studies on topics related to national security.

It was launched in 2014 as part of the activities to promote security culture, and over time, the competition has witnessed an increasing relevant involvement of the university world, and has become an annual initiative: more than 100 recent graduates from more than 40 national universities have participated.

This initiative represents yet another sign of the Intelligence's openness to the outside world and the solidity of its relationship with civil society and the university environment.

In this edition (2023-2024), 7 participants were rewarded with a prize worth €2,500 each for the best master thesis, rated no less than 105/110, on the following topics, among others: geopolitics and international relations; threats to national security; law, doctrine and history of intelligence; economic and financial security.

These are the winners selected by an internal Committee: 

• Samuele Bernardi, University of Pisa, From EU strategic autonomy to EU public order and security. Towards the framing of an “EU strategic security”?;

• Roberto Colle, University of Trento, Democratic control of the information and security services: Historical and comparative aspects of a current issue;

• Edoardo Liberati, Sapienza University of Roma, Efficient, Reusable and High Error Tolerant Fuzzy Extractor for Physical Unclonable Functions;

• Alessandro Lotto, University of Padova, BARON: Base-Station Authentication Through Core Network for Mobility Management in 5G Networks;

• Matteo Marras, University of Torino, The defence of national interests and Chinese investments in Italy;

• Martina Serao, University of Roma Tre, The strategic competition between European Union and Russian Federation: A Net assessment analysis;

• Maria Vittoria Zucca, University of Trento, Cybercrime in healthcare: history, diagnosis, and prognosis of an IT “disease.”.

The seventh edition of the Award is ongoing and you can find it on the Italian Intelligence website www.sicurezzanazionale.gov.it.

1 - What initially attracted you to the ICE, and what motivated you to take on the role of Director of the Permanent Secretariat?

Being the first director of the Permanent Secretariat of the College of Intelligence in Europe (ICE) was, for me, a great honour and an unforgettable experience. I accepted the role with much humility, but above all, with great enthusiasm.

A direct result of the 2017 Sorbonne speech, which I continue to regard as one of the most important speeches on Europe in recent years, the College of Intelligence in Europe project, now involving nearly thirty countries, is not only a challenge but also a significant ambition. Looking back, when I reflect on my two years leading the Permanent Secretariat of the College of Intelligence in Europe, I am proud to have been part of this endeavour and to have guided the College through its initial steps.

2 - Looking back, what do you consider ICE’s greatest achievements during your time as Director? Were there any specific initiatives or developments that you found particularly impactful?

First and foremost, I would like to pay tribute to our predecessors who were pioneers in launching this project. After the Sorbonne speech, it was necessary to bring to life an unprecedented project. This pioneering team rose to the challenge with much courage and dedication. We must not forget what we owe them.

As for me, I took up my post while we were very much under stress from the COVID pandemic. The real challenge was to buttress our project in a context that allowed neither travel nor the full mobilization of all the stakeholders involved.

Thanks to the small team working with me, whose resilience and hard work I wish to acknowledge, we reached out to each of our interlocutors (using all available means: emails, phone calls, videoconferences) to explain the project, its stakes, key milestones, and our strategy.

This initial dialogue, built on trust and empathy, enabled us, once the final COVID-related obstacles were lifted, to launch seminars, conferences, and publications quickly.

During my tenure, we launched the website. We organized the first steering committee of the College in Paris. We actively participated in the “Fabrique Défense” Forum, where we were able to present the College’s role in building an autonomous strategic culture in Europe to numerous young people. On that occasion, we organized a roundtable with senior intelligence officials. I also started a dialogue with IFRI with a view to launching a series of conferences on intelligence, and I am proud to see that project now realized, just as I am proud to see the active collaboration today between academic institutions and the College. I am aware of the significant work done to achieve this objective, and the Permanent Secretariat can only express gratitude to all those who invested in this sensitive matter.

3 – Coordinating 31 countries and their respective intelligence services in a newly established institution is no small feat. From your perspective, what was the most challenging aspect of this coordination and what impressed you the most?

Yes, coordinating the intelligence services of more than thirty countries is no mean feat. However, I believe it is easier to coordinate intelligence services than other State services, as despite our “ideological” differences, we still speak the same language and face the same challenges and threats today.

Of course, we had to convince those who had reservations about the College’s rationale, but what ultimately prevailed was a collective realization of the role that intelligence services, beyond their operational missions, have to play in building our political Europe and a shared strategic vision.

Through the numerous discussions I had during my time leading the Permanent Secretariat, what impressed me the most was the quality of the individuals I met. I discovered cultures I didn’t know, particularly those of Northern European countries, whose analysis I greatly admire. I witnessed the commitment and dedication of high-ranking officials—from Croatia, which held the presidency of the College when I arrived and offered unwavering support, to Italy, which assumed the presidency shortly before my departure with remarkable seriousness, to Romania and Spain, which were incredibly committed, especially in academic matters. I would also like to mention Germany’s key role in the initial phase of the project.

4 – What advice would you offer to continue building and strengthening European intelligence culture?

We must invest in youth, and everything that can be done to create synergies between individuals of the same generation will only strengthen a shared intelligence culture. The training programs currently developing within the College are a great opportunity and a guarantee of success for our project.

We must also innovate—create topics for synergy, invent new operational methods within the College, and develop new tools to strengthen our cohesion. As philologist and philosopher Heinz Wismann wrote, “Europe belongs only to those who dare to reinvent it,” and this applies to the world of intelligence in the first place.

The actions undertaken by the College are promising and forward-looking. I can only congratulate my successor and the team leading the Permanent Secretariat for the progress made over the past nearly three years.

5 – What is your vision for the future of ICE, and what do you hope it will achieve in the coming years?

The upheavals facing our world today profoundly impact intelligence services. The College of Intelligence in Europe must be a tool to address these changes and the disruptions we are witnessing.

It must become a mandatory step in the career paths of European intelligence officers and eventually become a true General Staff school for European intelligence (and I do emphasize European intelligence). But our ambition must go further. The College of Intelligence can also act as a trailblazer. In the face of current events which often prevent us from addressing future issues, the College must break new ground, anticipate, and imagine the unimaginable. Our different perspectives, cultures, and histories are a tremendous asset for thinking about the future together and reinventing ourselves in the face of the outside world. In this great challenge, European intelligence services are more vital than ever, and the College of Intelligence in Europe deserves all the attention it receives.

The Intelligence week project conceived by Margarita Šešelgytė, Director of the International Relations & Political Sciences (IIRPS) Institute of Vilnius has entered its 5 th year ! Five years of success and improvements! This outstanding outreach activity authorises students in their BA year to understand better how intelligence works to secure & protect their nation and our democratic European culture on one side and, then, learn how an intelligence report and a VIP briefing is prepared and delivered.

It makes them understand the difference between media reporting and an analytical report, with all its challenges and the level of tradecraft & expertise associated to this exercise! It will serve them even if they don’t join a security or an intelligence Service, at least as an informed citizen or, in some cases, as an informed client, i.e. as a future intel. consumer. 

Associated nearly since the beginning - the Intelligence College in Europe has invited Margarita Šešelgytė to the La Fabrique Defense Event in January 2022, is proud to participate to this project and to support it!

The Permanent Secretariat of ICE (ICE PS) is alongside members of the Lithuanian Intelligence & Security Service (VSD), the Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Survila and the Ambassador of Netherlands member of the selection jury.

In 2024, the 5^th anniversary of the founding of the Intelligence College, ICE PS is happy to offer the First Prize for the best students’ team, an invitation to Paris and to the Paris Defense Security Forum 2025 (PDSF 2025) which will take place in the very beginning of March 2025, organised by the French ACADEM (Académie de défense de l'École militaire).

A really nice outreach activity, contributing to build a stronger European intelligence culture, which, ideally, will benefit to be replicated in other countries!

On 23^rd  October 2024, the Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the College (ICE PS), Mr Fischer, met with the new Director of INTCEN, Daniel Markic. This is the first meeting in person at this level since the recent change of leadership of INTCEN, last September.

This meeting, which took place in an efficient and very pleasant atmosphere, has provided the opportunity to discuss on the state of collaboration between the two organisations and to reflect on the consequences of the European Council's decision to strengthen the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity (SIAC).

This visit has taken place a few time before the signing of the Letter of Intent for cooperation between the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) and the SIAC Directors, as well as the first Brussels conference on "European Intelligence and the Institutions of the European Union".

These events demonstrate the unity within our intelligence and security community as initiatives in this area multiply.

Strengthening European Security and Intelligence Cooperation

On October 24, 2024, the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI) and the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) held an outreach event at the École Royale Militaire in Brussels, with the participation of key EU officials, national Points of Contact (POCs) from ICE member states, selected Intelligence Services officials and influential think tankers. The event provided a platform for senior officials and intelligence leaders to discuss the evolving role of intelligence in the European Union and focused on the strategic value of intelligence in decision-making as well as the collaborative frameworks within the EU.

The day began with welcome addresses by Mr. Arturo Relanzón, CNI Secretary General, and Mr. François Fischer, ICE Permanent Secretariat Director. Both of them have stressed the relevance and the timeliness of such a conference, the first made in Brussels on Intelligence services and the European Union institutions, just at the time where the future of SIAC (1), with a view on “Strengthening SIAC”, and the Niniisto report were to be discussed (2).

The conference itself was organised mainly around three roundtables moderated by former Nato ASG Intelligence Freytag von Loringhoven, by ICE.PS Director and by SG CNI, high-level roundtables followed by a strategic speech from the EEAS Secretary General :  

The first morning roundtable has examined the functional development of EU intelligence, from SITCEN to INTCEN and the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity (SIAC) before focusing on the EU needs and the ways to ensure the timely redistribution of intelligence to all the relevant EU institutions, and not only EEAS or the PSC. The two directors of SIAC, Mr Daniel Markic and General Baev, have also insisted, in a time when partnership with like-minded countries is growing massively, be it in Nato or in bilateral format, on the need to maintain SIAC as the single point of entry for strategic intelligence. 

The second roundtable has allowed three major intelligence EU customers, Mr Bartjan Wegter, the EU CT Coordinator, Mr Ilkka Salmi, DDG Commission in charge of the Security, and Mr Francisco Fontan, the HRVP Head of Cabinet, to express their needs and comments.

In these two roundtables was emphasised the importance of intelligence for EU policy-makers. Panellists offered their perspectives on trust-building among member states and between Member states and the institutions. Discussions on the need to adapt to the policy rh ythm, to ensure relevance and timeliness has led to some new ideas, especially on the interest to brief directly high ranking EU decision-makers as SIAC has begun to do.

The afternoon session has allowed the General Director of Lithuania and the Deputies of DGs from Belgium and France to highlight the complementarity of internal, external, and military intelligence services, a strong point of the SIAC concept.

Mr. Stefano Sannino, Secretary-General of the EEAS, has then given the last lecture of this very dense conference with a forward-looking perspective on EU security, insisting on the need to adapt to the new EU “ecosystem”, i.e. the new EU security paradigm in terms of military & security defence, in terms of economic security and the need of “all of society” approach to tackle all the threats. Inter alia, he thanks the Member States services for their inputs, through the EU Threat assesments, to the strategic Compass.

This very timely ICE outreach event underscored the EU’s commitment to fostering a more unified intelligence community through trust and collaboration. Very important also, the need for the intelligence & security services to be more heard in Brussels has been highlighted by various EU actors.

In a notable prelude on October 23, ICE and SIAC signed a letter of intent to enhance cooperation, therefore reaffirming their dedication to shared training and operational support and highlighting the unity of the intelligence community in Brussels.

ICE.PS thanks here the Spanish Presidency but also our Belgian friends for all their mobilisation to ensure the full success of this first conference in Brussels on this topic; a conference which was built on the experience gained on 31st of May and 1st of June 2023 during a first Ecole Royale Militaire conference organised by the VSSE and on 19-20 of September 2023 during the conference organised in Madrid with the full support of Ortega y Gasset foundation.  

(1) The civ/mil Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity, regrouping the forces of the civilian EU INTCEN and the military EUMS.INT.

(2) Despite some first leaks in the press the days before, the report drafted by the former Finn President was released 5 days after the Conference.

Access the closing remarks by Mr. Arturo Relanzón, Secretary General of the CNI, here!

In October 2024, in accordance to the SIAC-ICE Letter of Intention for cooperation signed in the Ecole Royale Militaire, the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) academic network has delivered a joint Analytical course to the SIAC Analysts.

This second edition is participating to the joint civilian-military culture of EUMS.INT and EU INTCEN Analysts, regrouped in the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity.

A good example of what an european intelligence culture could mean practically !

The Spanish Intelligence Academy from CNI, the Romanian Intelligence Academy (ANIMV) from SRI and the multinational Osint Center of Excellence of Zagreb have united their forces to deliver this crosscutting European course.

Authored by:

U. Borghoff, L. Berger, & F. Fischer, Connections QJ 23, no. 1 (2024): Preview
https://doi.org/10.11610/Connections.23.1.03

Abstract:

The actors within the so-called "intelligence community" play a central role in fulfilling Europe's security commitments by providing political and military decision-makers with critical analyses and information. The Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) is the first entity to offer both professional intelligence training and postgraduate-level academic education in intelligence and security studies for intelligence officers on a pan-European scale. In developing its postgraduate offerings, ICE has drawn upon the experience of Germany's Master of Intelligence and Security Studies (MISS), a collaborative effort between the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and the Department of Intelligence at the Federal University of Administrative Sciences in Berlin. As a main contribution of this article, the counterterrorism module (adapted from the MISS) is examined in detail as a case study of how postgraduate modules can be tailored to meet the needs of a pan-European audience of intelligence professionals.

See also:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384159933_The_Intelligence_College_in_Europe_An_Effort_to_Create_a_European_Intelligence_Communit

The Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), together with the National Intelligence Centre (CNI), have designed the summer course “INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AND SOCIETY. SECRECY IN THE RULE OF LAW”, in which high-level specialists and representatives of the Intelligence Services themselves will participate. 

The UCM summer courses are an international reference for academics and the public in general, as a forum for intellectual exchange. They aim to be a space of transversal thinking that responds to the challenges that society faces, within the maximum academic rigor and internationalization.

The course will take place on July 15^th and 16^th, 2024, in a face-to-face format, in the city of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (56 km from city centre Madrid). Although it is a national level event, a roundtable dedicated to the vision from Europe will be included during the session on Day 15^th July 16 hrs. This session will be conducted in English and will be available online to the ICE members and partners.

Participants of the round table:

AUSTRIA: Sascha BOSEZKY, Director Austrian Strategic Intelligence Agency

GERMANY: Carsten MAAS, Deputy Director General Department 7, Federal Intelligence Service; Coordination of Federal Intelligence Services.

INTCEN UE: José MORGADO, Director INTCEN EEAS

 ICE: Francoise FISCHER, Director PS ICE

SPAIN: Arturo RELENZÓN , Secretary General CNI

The project on « European Youth Perceptions of National Intelligence Services » is the first research project to be carried out collectively, with the participation of universities from the ICE´s Academic Network. The objective of the project is to carry out a study on the opinion that young Europeans have about their Intelligence and Security Services, to measure the extent to which European youth Trust Intelligence services.

Professor Antonio Diaz (University of Cadiz), who led a similar project at the national level in 2018 en Spain, coordinates this project trying to extrapolate this study to European level. All members are invited to participate in the project, through the universities of the academic network or other universities in their countries specialized in the area of Intelligence knowledge. Quotas will be established for the number of interviews per country, gender, and age range, including that the national sample is representative of the country's population. If necessary, weights (adjustments) will be applied by gender and age according to the distribution of the adult population per country (INE, Eurostat).

There are several items cover, sociodemographic items, missions of intelligence agencies, power of intelligence agencies, trust and control. Sample population is made up of young Europeans aged 16-30 years. The potential coutries which participate, cover different types of political regimes, political cultures and geographical zones. Spain –University of Cádiz- will be the leading partner. The method used is online survey targeting adults.

The survey is conducted over a period of 15 days starting from the date the survey company receives the questionnaires. The survey will consist of 30 items, with an estimated completion time of 8-9 minutes. Due to the institutional structure varying from country to country, decisions are required on which specific agencies should be the focus of the survey.

This project is being developed during 2024 and the results are expected to be available next November.

The first Academic Conference of the Intelligence College in Europe (ICE), organized by the Romanian Presidency, took place on May 4th, 2023, in Bucharest. The event marked the 30th anniversary of the ‘Mihai Viteazul’ Romanian Intelligence Academy (ANIMV) and highlights its longstanding commitment to intelligence training and education in Romania. Initiated by the Italian Presidency in 2022, the conference aimed to strengthen cooperation between the College’s Academic Network and the broader academic community. Due to logistical considerations, the conference was held in a hybrid format, with representatives from 10 member countries attending in person.

The opening session included introductions of network members and academic institutions, followed by a keynote address from the Director of the Permanent Secretariat, who underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in developing ICE initiatives, the need for specialized clusters of expertise, and potential areas for future educational and research endeavors.

A panel discussion on the future of intelligence education and research featured contributions from academics representing different countries that shared insights on key topics in the field. A subsequent roundtable focused on existing outreach initiatives at the national level and explored opportunities for further collaboration and development of new projects.

The next academic conference will continue to build on these foundations and will further enhance collaboration and innovation in intelligence education and research.