The Hague Institute for Geopolitics is now joining forces with the Knowledge Network (CKN) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Clingendael Institute for an interesting project. Under the supervision of Michaloliákos, students of the minor International Administration at Leiden University conducted meta-research on the CKN studies. This was done in the context of the launch of Cosmolab, which aims to “strengthen our fundamental knowledge and awareness of the reality and complexity of our relations with China”.

They studied nearly forty reports on the most important trends, developments and findings in the Netherlands/EU-China relationship. Whereas until 2022 the focus was on economics and trade, there has been an increasing emphasis on security and geopolitical risk management. Each ministry appears to have different areas of focus. This narrowing of focus is understandable, given the fragmenting world order. Nevertheless, we must avoid focusing too narrowly. Which elements are or are at risk of being overlooked in our complex relationship with China? Appropriate answers and advice have been formulated for these and many other questions.

Please feel free to contact us for more information about the findings of this meta-study.

What is Cosmolab?

The series begins with a warning against our own naïve realism. We must distance ourselves from our view of reality as consisting of objects propelled by forces, and from our conviction that this is the only way to access reality.

In successive conversations, Cosmolab presents different visions of the complexity of our world. Reality consists of relationships, of which we ourselves and our knowledge of it are inextricably linked. In order to understand our uncertain times of polycrisis and polyphony, we can and must approach reality itself.

Interested in a research project, lecture or masterclass? Click here for more information.