On Thursday, December 4, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) hosted its 2025 Annual Conference, under the overarching theme: 15/15 Vision: Looking Back, Moving Forward. The Conference took place at the Hotel des Indes in The Hague, bringing together nearly 100 policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to reflect on the major achievements in counter-terrorism (CT) and prevention of violent extremism (P/CVE) over the past fifteen years.
The conference was held under the Chatham House Rule, fostering open and candid discussions, and featured contributions from a number of high-level speakers from across the global counter-terrorism and security community. The event offered a unique platform to exchange knowledge, highlight best practices, and identify emerging challenges for the next decade and beyond.
This year’s Annual Conference was not only a celebration of ICCT’s milestone but also a tribute to the outstanding contributions of Prof. Em. Dr Alex P. Schmid. During the event, ICCT had the honour of presenting Dr Schmid with the ICCT Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his exceptional and enduring impact on the study of terrorism and his dedication to advancing understanding in this critical field.
The Annual Conference reflected a hallmark of ICCT’s overarrching mission: convening diverse voices, fostering critical dialogue, and ensuring that research and practice evolve hand-in-hand.
You can find a summary of the Annual Conference here:
Annual Conference Programme
From Past to Present: How Terrorism Has Evolved, and What Comes Next
Speaker: Prof Dr Peter Neumann, Professor of Security Studies, King’s College London
Terrorism and violent extremism are constantly evolving, and the landscape we confront today looks very different from that of fifteen years ago. In his keynote lecture, Prof. Neumann traced the evolution of the terrorist threat, how it developed, how it has shifted in recent years, and the trends now emerging. He also reflected on the lessons learned so far and the critical areas where further understanding and adaptation are needed to meet the challenges ahead.
Shaping the Field Lessons from ICCT’s Leadership
Speakers: Peter Knoope, ICCT Distinguished Fellow and former ICCT Director (2010-2014)
Dr Alastair Reed, ICCT Associate Fellow, former ICCT Director (2016-2018), and
Professor at Coventry University
Dr Thomas Renard, ICCT Director and Chair of the EU Knowledge Hub on the prevention of radicalisation Research Committee
Moderator: Dr Joana Cook, ICCT Associate Fellow and Assistant Professor at Leiden University
In this panel, ICCT’s current Director engaged in a conversation with two former Directors to reflect on key achievements and lessons learned in counter-terrorism and the prevention of radicalisation over the past years. Together, they highlighted ICCT’s contributions to the field and look ahead to the emerging challenges that will shape the Centre’s work in the future.
Keynote Policy Insights
Speaker: Wieke Vink, Acting National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV)
Moderator: Dr Kasper Vrolijk, Chair of ICCT Supervisory Board and Managing Director of Asser Institute
Adapting to Change: How CT Policy and Practice Are Evolving
Speakers: Coşkun Çörüz, former Member of the Dutch Parliament and initiator of ICCT
Major General Bart Hulsbosch, Deputy Commander of the Dutch Royal Marechaussee
Piotr Krygiel, Principal Adviser and Team Leader of the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator
Vanessa Sima, Policy Director at the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence, Public Safety Canada
Moderated by: Wil van Gemert, Member of ICCT Supervisory Board
In this panel, policy-makers and counter-terrorism practitioners reflected on how counter-terrorism and prevention practices have evolved. Speaking from very different perspectives at the national and international levels, they will compare lessons drawn from past achievements and examine the key challenges that lie ahead, exploring how policy and practice must adapt to meet them and what can be learned from research.
New Research Orientations: Online Extremism, New Forms of Extremism, and Hybrid Threats
Speakers: Dr Bibi van Ginkel, ICCT Senior Research Fellow
Dr Kacper Rekawek, ICCT Senior Research Fellow
Julian Lanchès, ICCT Junior Research Fellow
Merlina Herbach, ICCT Junior Research Fellow
Moderator: Menso Hartgers, ICCT Research Fellow
In the final panel, ICCT researchers presented new insights from their latest work on some of the most pressing issues shaping today’s counterterrorism agenda. Topics include emerging approaches to managing borderline extremist content online; the dynamics of conspiracy-driven, anti-government extremism in digital spaces; and the rise of Russian-driven terrorist activity and hybrid operations across Europe.
