Centre for EUropean Peace and Security Studies (ZEUS)

ZEUS relies on IFSH’s expertise of many years in the field of conceptual, functional, structural and operative shaping of European security policy. The Centre’s research programme is aimed at contributing to the strengthening of peace and security in the fields of the EU’s common foreign-, security- and defence policy within and beyond its borders.The Centre’s research programme contributes to the IFSH research programme “Civilizing the Conflict”. Within this context, the possibilities for civil crisis prevention and conflict management are to be investigated.

With the founding of ZEUS, already existing potential in these subject areas – regarding research on the OSCE – is complemented and enhanced through the analysis of the European Union’s policies and framework. To increase IFSH’s scientific profile, ZEUS strives toward creating specific synergies through joint and co-ordinated research projects at the Centre for OSCE Research (CORE) and the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Arms Control and Disarmament (IFAR). Co-operation with CORE includes, among others, research on democratization and transformation as well as on the development of institutions based on the rule of law in South and East Europe, and Central Asia; co-operation with IFAR involves research on arms control and disarmament as well as on international terrorism, its causes, risks and consequences.

Within the newly founded Hamburg Network Peace Research and Security Policy, ZEUS is also starting to co-operate with institutes and organizations that conduct research on related topics in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, e.g. with the University of Hamburg and the University of the “Bundeswehr”, i.a. with the goal of increasing third-party funding for the further development of the Centre’s profile.

The Centre’s long-term research orientation takes into account the most important peace and security policy components in the development of the European Union:

• the European Union’s self-image and its role as a “peace actor” and “security provider”;
• the development and strengthening of relevant EU peace and security policy structures;
• the enlargement of the EU and the resulting challenges and opportunities therefrom, in particular, for inter-institutional co-operation with the OSCE in the establishment of a stable security system with a perspective toward maintaining an enduring order of peace in Europe;
• the development of Euro-Atlantic ties, taking especially into account the politico-security relations between the EU and the US, and between the EU and NATO, respectively;
• the effects of the EU as a global actor in peace and security policy on areas emphasizing regional co-operation that are of particular importance to IFSH’s sponsor, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
  

At ZEUS, studies have been developed in the broad area of European security and especially in the fields of foreign, security and defence policy, on police and judicial cooperation, security sector reform, nation- and state-building, inter-regional security cooperation and on the development of the EU as agent, enabler and framer of crisis prevention, conflict management and constructive conflict transformation. The research results are made available for purposes of academic discourse, political counselling and public information.

The Centre develops and maintains close relationships with renown research institutes at home and abroad. Raising third-party funds is undertaken with the aim of bringing about co-operation with institutes in France, Great Britain, Poland and the US. Insights drawn from research are used in academic teaching (above all in IFSH’s M.P.S. programme) as well as in the promotion and support of new researchers at IFSH. In particular, ZEUS supports graduate projects (Diploma-, Magister-, Masters- and PhD’s) which correspond to and strengthen its profile.

One of its special areas of research as well as its scholarly-based services and training are found at the interface of civil prevention of violence and the peace and politico-security role of the armed forces. This special area of research is in long tradition with the IFSH, founded by its first director, Lieutenant General (rtd.) Count Wolf Graf von Baudissin. Research on the democratization of the armed forces and on leadership and civic education (Civic Education) is closely tied in with the military component of the IFSH. This kind of research is not only gaining importance in future defence policy co-operation on a European level, but also in the security policy of the EU altogether. This also applies to the Fellowship Programme “Count Baudissin” in whose framework a supervised research residency for international military officers and security experts is offered at the IFSH.

Research plans at ZEUS comprise budget financed and third-party funded projects as well as preparatory work for a promising raising of third-party funds. The projects involve the management and supervision of graduate work.

ZEUS leverages its academic expertise to perform a wide variety of support tasks in acting both independently and providing services for the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. Support tasks include Internet-based information, publishing and editing of academic publications, peace education, public relations and the organization of academic teaching.

All ZEUS researchers participate in the academic training of students, above all, of students in the M.P.S. postgraduate programme. Junior researchers also undertake teaching and supervision tasks in line with their qualification and skills.