About CAST

The Centre for Advanced Security Theory seeks to advance the study of international security and security practices through critical debate and analysis. We share a commitment to fundamental theoretical and conceptual discussion as well as a strong engagement with practice.

The current research projects are positioned within the field of international security studies, but also draw on insights from Foreign policy analysis, public administration, political theory, anthropology, and political sociology.

CAST consists of a group of core researchers who each contributes to the research themes mentioned above. Together with the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), CAST furthermore facilitates a web-based network of researchers from all over the world who share an interest in the advancement and development of security studies. 

CAST began in 2008 as a five-year research project awarded to Professor Ole Wæver by the University of Copenhagen's Excellence Programme. In 2014, the Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, decided to continue CAST as a research centre at the Department. The wider purpose of CAST continues to be the accumulation of and critical reflection on knowledge about current security practices and to advance and develop our conceptual and theoretical frameworks for understanding these practices.