The National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K) hosted Lieutenant Colonel van der Nol, the Defence Attaché of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Kenya, for a consultative engagement focused on strengthening collaboration in research, security, and defence studies.

 The visit served as a platform for strengthening institutional cooperation and advancing shared priorities in defence education, climate change research, and strategic knowledge exchange between NDU-K and the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA).

This engagement also aligns with NDU-K’s active work on the climate–security nexus, as the university increasingly integrates climate-related issues as security threats into its research, training, and strategic collaboration frameworks. The visit by the Defence Attaché therefore reinforced ongoing efforts to broaden defence and security dialogue beyond traditional concerns, reflecting a shared interest in addressing emerging non-traditional security threats such as climate change and environmental instability.

The engagement underscored the expanding partnership between NDU-K and the NLDA, which began with a Climate Security Workshop hosted at NDU-K in 2023. The workshop, conducted in collaboration with the Netherlands Defence Academy, laid the foundation for a growing and sustained research relationship between the two institutions.

Since then, joint research teams from both institutions have undertaken several collaborative and impactful studies, reflecting deepening institutional cooperation and strong intellectual synergy in addressing emerging security challenges.

During discussions led by the Vice Chancellor, Lieutenant General David Tarus, both institutions reviewed progress under the partnership and explored further avenues for collaboration in key areas, including cybersecurity, climate security, artificial intelligence (AI), and maritime security.

Both institutions reaffirmed their shared understanding that environmental and technological developments are increasingly shaping modern security dynamics, requiring integrated and forward-looking approaches to defence and strategic studies.

It was further emphasized that climate change continues to pose evolving security risks, necessitating enhanced preparedness, capability development, and joint research initiatives to support effective responses.

The visit reaffirmed the commitment of the National Defence University - Kenya and counterpart NLDA to expanding research cooperation, strengthening institutional partnerships, and advancing innovative solutions to contemporary and emerging security challenges. This includes a particular focus on climate change, which is increasingly recognized as a multifaceted security threat with the potential to intensify existing vulnerabilities and undermine national stability, human security, and economic resilience.