Brussels - 20 May, 2015 European Defence Agency

The European Defence Agency and the Egmont Institute are proud to announce that the 2015 EDA-Egmont PhD prize has been awarded to Mr. Andrea Gilli for his research work on armaments cooperation.

The EDA-Egmont PhD prize was created in 2013 to stimulate research in the field of European defence, security and strategy. The prize rewards research work undertaken as part of a PhD thesis carried out at a recognised academic institution.

The 2015 was awarded to Andrea Gilli, Post-doctoral Fellow, Center for Security Studies, Metropolitan University Prague, for his thesis entitled “Unipolarity, Technological Change and Arms Manufacturing: Industrial Alliances in the European Defense Industry”.

“Tackling the issue of armaments cooperation, which is not just highly political but also very technical, takes daring on the part of a young PhD candidate – Andrea Gilli has succeeded brilliantly”, Prof Sven Biscop of Egmont, Jury Chair, underlines. “His dissertation is most enlightening and very readable, for academics and practitioners alike. Unlike many dissertations about European topics, Gilli does not attempt to bring a good news show. Instead he demonstrates why armaments cooperation is most difficult where intuitively one would expect it to be most evident. From that dour lesson, policy implications can be drawn and a way for the future charted. A well-earned doctorate, to which the jury unanimously added the 2nd EDA-Egmont Prize”.

Eight thesis were submitted for the EDA-Egmont Prize. The award jury, chaired by Prof Sven Biscop, was composed of Mr. Jorge Domecq, EDA Chief Executive; General Patrick de Rousiers, EU Military Committee Chairman; Dr Antonio Missiroli, EUISS Director; Prof Jolyon Howorth, University of Bath / Yale University; Dr Hilmar Linnenkamp, Adviser SWP; and Prof Richard Whitman, University of Kent.

“The EDA-Egmont PhD prize is meant to boost innovative research in the field of European defence and security”, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq stresses. “This year’s winner will not only be awarded a €2000 grant but will also have the opportunity to share his views with high-level executives during the upcoming EDA Annual Conference on 16 November, effectively bridging the gap between research and European policy-making mechanisms”, he adds.

More information

• Andrea Gilli's PhD Executive Summary

The European Defence Agency (EDA) in partnership with Egmont Institute has the pleasure of inviting the best and the brightest of European academic scholars to submit their candidacy for the EDA-Egmont PhD Prize in Defence, Security and Strategy.

If you have been awarded a PhD in the last academic year or beginning of current academic year (1 September 2012 to 1 December 2013) and feel your findings stand out in terms of quality, innovation and impact on future EU policy, then you are what we are looking for.

You need to be a citizen of an EDA Member State (all EU Member States except Denmark) or a state with an Administrative Arrangement with EDA (Switzerland, Norway). You will need to have been awarded the PhD by an academic institution, and you will need to be available to deliver an intervention at EDA’s Annual Conference scheduled for 27 March 2014 in Brussels.

Does this sound interesting? If so, please consult the attached documents for full details on eligibility and award criteria as well as for the practicalities on how to submit your candidacy.

Deadline for submissions is 1 December 2013. The Award notice will be published on 1 March 2014.

We look forward to receiving your submission!

More information:

• Call for Submissions 2014 EDA-Egmont PhD Prize
• Submission form 2014 EDA-Egmont PhD Prize
• News "First EDA-Egmont PhD Prize Awarded" (12 March 2013)
• Video summary of the 2013 EDA Annual Conference "European Defence Matters"
• Pictures of the 2013 EDA Annual Conference "European Defence Matters"