WIIS Brussels Voices

In this miniseries, WIIS Brussels invites women to share their experience and expertise on the multi-dimension of the climate security.    To introduce the journey to capture climate security impact, Sabrine Dao and Sofiia Shevchuk welcome Elizabeth Smith, Research Assistant with the SIPRI Climate Change and Risk Programme, Madeline Babin the Research Associate for Climate Change Po...

There are eternal questions about the European Union: does it lead events or respond to them? does it become weaker or stronger in crises? is it weakened by consensus or strengthened by it? These questions and many others were also repeatedly posed about the Habsburg empire — that lasted 600 years. To discuss the comparison, as well as the broader situation of the EU, Ilana Bet-El welcomes Dr...

Energy and energy security have become a key element of the strategic standoff between Russia and Europe — due to the war in Ukraine. To examine this important issue Ilana Bet-El welcomes Dr Katja Yafimava, Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Gas Research Programme, and Olivera Drazic-Gaubert, Senior Advisor and former head of FIPRA’s Green Transition, Energ...

Continuing our journey of seeking historic perspective on the conflict in Ukraine, Ilana Bet-El welcomes Professor Kristina Spohr of the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Dr Olga Oliker, Director of the Europe and Central Asia Programme at the International Crisis Group.  With their expertise on Russia, Ukraine, the Cold War and the global order, the th...

8 March 1917 was the first day of the Russian Revolution: it was started by women marching for their rights. 8 March 2022 is day thirteen of the Russian war against Ukraine, with women protecting their families, their lives, their rights.  Upon this historic background, Ilana Bet-El welcomes Rose Gottemoller, former NATO Deputy Secretary General and Steven C. Házy Lecturer at Stanford Un...

In keeping with our fast moving times and events in Ukraine, the first episode of the 2022 Women and Leadership podcast is a conversation with two NATO Ambassadors, past and present: Veronika Wand-Danielsson, Head of the Americas Department at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and formerly Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sweden to NATO, and Muriel Domenach, Ambassador and Permane...

In this episode, Sabrine Dao invites new WIIS Campus member and climate security expert Jordan Koop as well as Annika Vollmer, Program Coordinator at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Marion Russ, Program Officer at Search for Common Ground, to discuss COP26 and why it is important to talk about climate change now. Each share their own point of view on the place of women, the young...

For her last episode in 2021, Ilana Bet-El talks to Rosa Balfour, Director of Carnegie Europe, and Corinna Hörst, Guido Goldman Director of Leadership Programs at the German Marshall Fund (GMF).  This conversation covers a wide arc, from the personal to the professional. Starting from their evolution in academe and European affairs to becoming working mothers, these senior women reflect upon...

In this new episode Ilana Bet-El welcomes Dr. Hannah Neumann, member of the European Parliament for the Greens and member of its subcommittee on security and defence, and Joanneke Balfoort, Director of Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service (EEAS). This discussion takes us behind the scenes of EU institutions and their debates on defence and security, the realities of...

In this new episode Ilana Bet-El welcomes Ingrid Gonnissen, Board Member of both European Women on Board and Women on Board Belgium, and Annabelle McLaren-Thomson, Senior Research Associate at headhunting firm Perret-Laver.  Listen to their discussion exploring the realities and challenges of getting women into senior leadership positions, learn from their professional and personal exper...

For this summer episode Ilana Bet-El, a founding member of WIIS Brussels and former UN official welcomes two of her WIIS friends: Pauline Massart and Florence Ferrando, both WIIS Steering Committee members and hard working members of the consultancy world. Enjoy their discussion on how consultancy in Brussels is unique, the reality of being women in this male-dominated bubble, and realit...

In this episode, Ilana Bet-El, a founding member of WIIS Brussels and former UN official welcomes Arora Akanksha, a candidate to become the next UN Secretary General. Challenging all conventions, Ms Akanksha is not a state sponsored candidate — as well as being a woman, of refugee origin, and in her thirties.  Starting with with Ms Akanksha‘s decision to take this brave step, the di...

In this new episode, Ilana Bet-El, one of the founders of WIIS Brussels and former UN official welcomes European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography and Co-Chair of the Conference on the Future of Europe, Dubravka Šuica, and Heather Grabbe, Director of the Open Society Open Society European Policy Institute, to discuss women in leadership. Arriving respectively from Croatia and...

In this new episode, Silvia Costante and Eva Ribera invite Dr. Cristiana Lavinia Badulescu, Co-Managing Director of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) Brussels, to discuss the lessons learned after 20 years of implementing the UNSCR 1325 and the role that young people can play in being the gender-sensitive leaders of tomorrow. Featured in the podcast, Dr. Daniela Radu, independent resear...

In this first new show, Ilana Bet-El, one of the founders of WIIS Brussels & former UN official welcomes Lieutenant General Frances Allen, Military Representative of Canada to the NATO Military Committee, and Dr. Nad’a Kovalčíková, Programme Manager & Fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Brussels, to discuss about women leadership.  Is there something special about women’s leadership...

In this new episode, Silvia Costante and Sabrine Dao invite Kaltoum Nebbou, founder and president of the Comite diplomatique, to discuss the role of women in diplomacy. Why only a few women enter the diplomatic world? How can we break the glass ceiling in this gendered professional area? Featured in the podcast, Her Excellency Luminita Odobescu, Ambassador of Romania to the European Union, and Her...

The first episode of the WIIS Campus podcast focuses on the reasons and the individuals behind the project. The board of the association, consisting of five ambitious young women coming from different academic backgrounds and countries - Andreia Rodrigues, Ismérie Goemaere-Barbier and Ellée Civadova, in addition to the two Presidents - explains why community building, skills development and profes...

In this new episode, Florence Ferrando and Sabrine Dao invite Search for Common Ground (Search), the largest peacebuilding organisation in the world, to discuss the Gender impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in conflict affected areas. You will hear the experience and insight of 3 women as gender experts and peacebuilders: Matilda Flemming, Senior Manager, European Affairs & Partnerships, Search’s...

Teri Schultz and Larysa Lacko discuss the issue of gender equality in the European Union institutions with Cristina Gallach, Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Ibero-America and the Caribbean, Christian Leffler, the former Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues and retired Swedish diplomat, and Corinna Horst, Deputy Director of the Brussels Office of the German Mar...

This 5-episode series is the result of a project led by WIIS Brussels with 3 others WIIS chapters, which enabled 6 WIIS members from across the globe to attend NATO Engages in December 2019 in London & pair up to co-write policy briefs on key topics for the Alliance.  In this final episode, the 3 papers written by our laureates were with senior NATO stakeholders. Listen to their reactions...

This 5-episode series is the result of a project led by WIIS Brussels with 3 others WIIS chapters, which enabled 6 WIIS members from across the globe to attend NATO Engages in December 2019 in London & pair up to co-write policy briefs on key topics for the Alliance.  Listen to the last pear of laureates conclude our overview of each paper published, by looking at challenges and opportuni...

This 5-episode series is the result of a project led by WIIS Brussels with 3 others WIIS chapters, which enabled 6 WIIS members from across the globe to attend NATO Engages in December 2019 in London & pair up to co-write policy briefs on key topics for the Alliance.  Discover the work of two of our laureates on military uses of Artificial Intelligence and the importance of data. This epi...

This 5-episode series is the result of a project led by WIIS Brussels with 3 others WIIS chapters, which enabled 6 WIIS members from across the globe to attend NATO Engages in December 2019 in London & pair up to co-write policy briefs on key topics for the Alliance.  Discover the work of two of our laureates on the Alliance's evolving approach to China. This episode features: Florence Fe...

This 5-episode series is the result of a project led by WIIS Brussels with 3 others WIIS chapters, which enabled 6 WIIS members from across the globe to attend NATO Engages in December 2019 in London & pair up to co-write policy briefs on key topics for the Alliance.  Discover this WIIS initiative & learn more about our candidates! This episode features: Florence Ferrando  Michel...

Women in International Security (WIIS) Brussels has its own a podcast channel #WIISBrusselsVoices This podcast strengthens and diversifies women's voices on international security issues, and provides a platform to address today's hard-hitting questions through interviews, panel discussions and news analysis. Follow us on Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Our website Join us WIIS Brussels: If you'd like t...