Prof. Dr. Martijn Kitzen
Martijn Kitzen holds the chair in irregular warfare and special operations at the Netherlands Defence Academy where he also heads the war studies department. Additionally, he is professor by special appointment in war studies at Leiden University. Martijn has published extensively in this field and is known for scholarly contributions and popular works focusing on the utility of military force, operational deployments, special operations and irregular warfare. He regularly lectures at various international military institutes and staff colleges and his research activities include a fellowships at the University of Oxford’s Changing Character of War Centre as well as field work in Afghanistan and the Sahel region. In addition to his scholarly work, Martijn has been involved in pre-deployment training for various nations and has worked as an in-theatre advisor for Dutch forces. Martijn holds a PhD in history (Amsterdam University), a MA in political science (Leiden University), and is a graduate of the Royal Netherlands Military Academy. As a former military officer, he has experience in NATO and UN missions.