Bob Deen
Head of Security Unit and Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute
Bob Deen is Head of the Security Unit and Coordinator of the Clingendael Russia and Eastern Europe Centre. His research focuses on international security issues, geopolitics, multilateral co-operation, and conflict resolution, with a particular emphasis on Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. His current research subjects include the European security architecture and a European pillar within NATO, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and Russian foreign and security policy. He is a frequent commentator in Dutch and international media on these topics. Mr Deen also coordinates an international expert group that advises Governments on how to achieve a just, sustainable, and comprehensive peace for Ukraine. He has over 20 years of experience in international governmental and non-governmental organisations, including in senior management positions and field operations. Prior to joining Clingendael in 2020, he worked for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as Head of Section and Senior Adviser to the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), where he covered Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, and the Western Balkans. He also worked in Georgia as a Political Adviser for the EU and in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for a non-governmental aid organisation. He holds a master's degree in nationalism and ethnicity (distinction) from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a master's degree in international relations/international organisations (cum laude) from the University of Groningen. Mr Deen will become the new General Manager of the Clingendael Institute on 1 July 2026, succeeding Ms Monika Sie Dhian Ho, who has led the institute since 2016.
Updated: May 6, 2026
