Rethinking European Security: Britain, Germany and the Changing Character of Conflict. A Discussion with H. E. Susanne Baumann and Dr Rob Johnson
- Date & time
- –
- Speaker
- Susanne Baumann, Rob Johnson
- Series
- Greta Latvenaite
- Location
- Lincoln College - Oakeshott Room, Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College, Turl Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3DR, United Kingdom
- Organisation
- Oxford
Topics
About this talk
Rethinking European Security: Britain, Germany and the Changing Character of Conflict The Europeanist Society, in collaboration with the Oxford German Society and the Oxford Strategic Studies Group, is pleased to welcome H.E. Susanne Baumann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Kingdom, and Dr Rob Johnson for a discussion on the changing European security landscape and the future of European defence. Europe’s security environment has undergone profound changes in recent years, with Russia’s war against Ukraine, growing geopolitical competition, evolving forms of conflict, and renewed debates about European strategic autonomy and transatlantic cooperation. The discussion will explore how Germany, the United Kingdom and the EU are responding to these challenges and what the changing character of conflict means for the future of European security. Ambassador Susanne Baumann became Germany’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom in September 2025, following a distinguished career in German foreign and security policy. She served as State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office from 2021 to 2025 and previously held the position of Federal Government Commissioner for Disarmament and Arms Control. She also headed the Directorate-General for International Order, the United Nations and Arms Control. Her diplomatic experience includes senior roles in security policy, disarmament, relations with the United States and Europe, and postings in Malaysia, Kosovo and Cambodia. Dr Rob Johnson is Director of the Changing Character of War Centre and a Senior Research Fellow at Pembroke College, University of Oxford. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Norwegian Defence University Staff College and Rennes School of Business in France. A historian and scholar of strategic studies and international relations, he was the first Director of the UK Office of Net Assessment and Challenge, working closely with senior government officials on defence and security. He continues to advise governments and armed forces internationally, with expertise in military strategy, strategic decision-making, hybrid warfare and the evolution of modern conflict. His research also explores how wars can be brought to an end through negotiation and political transition. The discussion will provide an opportunity to reflect on the evolving European security order, the roles of Britain and Germany within it, and how European states can respond to an increasingly complex and contested international environment. Date: Friday, 27 November 2026, 11:00 am–12:30 pm Location: Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College, University of Oxford Admission: Free. No registration required.
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