Prof. Tuđman who was one of the best scientists and experts in intelligence and information-and-communication sciences in Europe. He was professor of information theory at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, Deputy Director of the Office for National Security (UNS) and the Director of the Croatian Intelligence Service (HIS) from 1993 to 1998, and from 1999 to 2000. He was head of the Croatian Parliament Delegation to the Parliamentary assembly of the NATO, and member of the Foreign Policy Committee, Domestic Policy and National Security Committee, Defence Committee, and of the Inter-parliamentary Co-operation Committee of the Croatian parliament. Contributed to various scientific projects, published dozens of books and over a hundred articles in scientific journals, editor of a dozen miscellaneous works (list of some of his works can be found here: https://www.bib.irb.hr/pregled/profil/28763). He was active in research, both in the field of information theory and national security and intelligence. For his role in Homeland war, he was decorated with most significant medals and decorations.

On the initiative of the Forum program and organization committee, in a memory of Prof. Tuđman, it was decided to establish “The Tudjman Scientific Excellence Award”. This award will be given to the scientist and experts that contributes most to the Forum and science in general (especially in a different but interconnected scientific fields that this Forum is having mind on like intelligence, security, information, communication....).

Therefore, we established Award committee that was, and will be, responsible for this Award. In a process that lasted several months, we discussed several potential candidates and their role in the Forum and in general. 

Dr. Giliam de Valk initiated, coordinated, and lectured at different academies a minor intelligence studies. Dr. G.G. (Giliam) de Valk (1961) studied at the Law Faculty of Leiden University. He wrote his dissertation (2005) at the Law Faculty of University of Groningen on the quality of intelligence analyses: Valk, Giliam de, Dutch Intelligence: Towards a Qualitative Framework for Analysis. Den Haag: Boom juridisch, 2005. Since 2016 he is assistant professor at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) of the Leiden University. He lectures and researches on intelligence, analysis and methodology. After his dissertation he started to work as a lecturer at the Department for Political Science (2006-2008) and at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (2007- 2016) of the University of Amsterdam. At this Institute, he was the initiator and coordinator of the Minor Intelligence Studies (2007-2016). In 2012, he transformed this Bachelor Minor Intelligence Studies into a center: the Ad de Jonge Center for Intelligence and Security Studies. In 2016, he and his team transferred to the ISGA (see above).From 2006-2011, he was a lecturer for the History of International Relations Section at the University of Utrecht. He taught on issues as intelligence studies, strategy (Von Clausewitz), humanitarian intervention, counterinsurgency, terrorism and counter-terrorism.

Dr. de Valk received Tuđman Award during the 6th Zagreb Security Forum. 

We are very proud that Dr. de Valk is regular speaker at the Zagreb Security Forums. His works, and papers present significant contribution of the science in perceiving real-time challenges at the strategic level in anticipating and managing modern and future crises, his contribution to security sciences, and the importance and practical effectiveness of its work.

Assistant Professor Gordan Akrap