During the Conflict Studies 25th-anniversary conference at Utrecht University, dr. Lauren Gould hosted two panels.
The first panel hosted by Gould and Bolliger traced and contested the military-industrial-academic complex. During the panel, speakers shared diverse perspectives on tracing, contesting, or fighting this complex.
Dr. Antoine Bousquet opened the discussion by explaining how the traditionally dominant defense contractors face disruption as big tech companies like SpaceX and Palantir enter the defense sector. He explained how this reshapes power structures, as tech leaders align themselves with political movements like MAGA and see themselves as beyond the state, raising critical questions about the future of governance and warfare.
Building on this, RAW researcher dr. Marijn Hoijtink mentioned how big tech is deepening its relationship with defense organizations by lifting restrictions on military AI applications, a shift accelerated after October 7. Hojitink explained how companies like Microsoft now sell AI-driven platforms to the IDF, marking a transformation in warfare through the “platformization” of military operations.
Gerard Jonkman, director of the Rights Forum, explained his organization’s work on Dutch and European policies regarding Israel and Palestine. They aim for just policies while exposing government complicity, especially in military and academic cooperation. He mentioned the resistance and pressure they face in their work regarding academic freedom and free speech. Similarly, Mark Akkerman, a researcher at Stop Wapenhandel, described how universities uncritically accept defense partnerships and are mobilized to serve defense priorities which reinforces concerns about academia’s involvement with military interests.
While Akkerman advocated for cutting all military ties between universities and the defense industry, Bousquet argued that maintaining academic engagement with the military fosters ethical oversight, critical thinking, and accountability. This, he concluded, allows defense policies and technologies to be informed by broader societal perspectives rather than being developed in isolation.
Gould hosted a second panel on Ecocide and civilian harm which examined ecocide as a critical perspective to understand the broader impact of war beyond the number of civilian deaths. The panel addressed how military operations, industrial activities, and governmental neglect cause the destruction of ecosystems, which consequently worsens humanitarian crises, increases civilian suffering, and makes recovery more difficult.
Panelists included Prof. Dr. Victoria Basham, dr. Mark Griffiths, Zsuzsanna Ihar, and Esther Marijnen. They talked about both theoretical and real-world examples of ecocide. They reflected on how viewing war through the lens of ecocide broadens the critique to include the lasting ecological damage that war imposes on communities and ecosystems.
Photo by Jonas Kakaroto
