Elmar Hellendoorn

Dr Elmar Hellendoorn is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, where he offers strategic insight at the intersection of geopolitics, global markets, and emerging technologies. With over a decade of experience advising within and alongside the Dutch government, he played a pioneering role in establishing economic security as a core policy focus.

Alongside his advisory work, Hellendoorn has held research positions at institutions including the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, the NATO Defense College, the European University Institute, the Clingendael Institute, and Utrecht University. He holds a PhD in History, with his doctoral research examining the interplay between nuclear technology, strategic doctrine, and transatlantic diplomacy in shaping the Cold War nuclear order.

He also holds two MA degrees in the History of International Relations and European Integration from the College of Europe in Bruges and Utrecht University (cum laude). Hellendoorn is a widely published author, with commentary featured in international outlets such as The Washington Post, The Denver Post, The Diplomat, and The National Interest, as well as in leading Dutch newspapers. He is a frequent media commentator and speaks six languages (Dutch, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German). He has lived across Europe and in the United States.