Gerhard Conrad – Ignorance can be deadly.
Dr. Gerhard Conrad (born 1954) earned his doctorate in Islamic Studies, International Politics, and International Law from Friedrich Wilhelms University in Bonn in 1987, following studies in Mainz, Freiburg, and Damascus.
Serving as a reserve officer in the German Armed Forces, he participated in numerous military exercises between 1981 and 2006, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, specializing as an expert on the Near and Middle East within the former Armed Forces Command Staff of the German Ministry of Defense.
Lecture topics Dr. Gerhard Conrad
- Why do intelligence services remain necessary? A critical examination of Germany’s security framework and the concept of “Intelligence Culture.”
- Global threats and their impact on Germany and Europe – What will the next decade look like?
- Intelligence as a mediator between adversaries and enemies – the reasons and methods behind it.
- International intelligence cooperation – its purpose, opportunities, and limitations.
- “Why do they hate us?” Exploring the origins, manifestations, goals, and evolution of terrorist actors and groups.
- No License to Kill: How the Federal Intelligence Service differs from the fictional James Bond.
“Someone is out there – espionage in cyberspace”
From 1990 until 2019, Gerhard Conrad served as a civil servant at the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), undertaking various roles in analysis and operations focused on the Near and Middle East. His work included acting as a mediator on humanitarian issues between Israel, Hizballah, and Hamas, and from 2006 to 2008, he worked on personal assignments for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. He also led the BND management staff under Presidents Ernst Uhrlau and Gerhard Schindler and represented the Service in Damascus and London. Between 2016 and 2019, he became the first German to lead the multinational EU Intelligence Analysis and Situation Center (EU INTCEN) in Brussels.
Gerhard Conrad – The negotiator with Hamas and Hizballah.
Israel’s intelligence agencies rank among the world’s best. Nevertheless, Hamas succeeded in surprising Israel with its deadly terror attack on October 7, 2023. But was this brutal assault truly unexpected? Few can provide better insight than Gerhard Conrad. As a doctor of Islamic Studies and a long-time intelligence officer in the region, he has firsthand experience negotiating with Hamas and Hizballah on behalf of the UN and through personal discussions.
In his compelling lectures, Gerhard Conrad explains who must have been aware of what and how intelligence agencies need to operate to equip political leaders with essential knowledge and dependable decision-making support.
October 7, 2023, will remain a significant date in Middle Eastern history: Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing over a thousand people within 48 hours and abducting hundreds of hostages to Gaza. Did intelligence agencies fail to foresee this disaster, and at what level did intelligence or political decision-makers fall short?
In an era marked by fake news and hybrid warfare, obtaining reliable information and adequately briefing decision-makers is more challenging than ever. Few understand this better than intelligence expert Dr. Gerhard Conrad. The Islamic scholar, former Chief of Staff at the BND, and Head of the Intelligence Analysis Center (EU INTCEN) in Brussels, has discreetly facilitated face-to-face mediation between Hamas, Hizballah, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Iran on humanitarian matters.
In his presentations, he carefully outlines the techniques intelligence services use to assess situations, the information they provide to military and political leaders, and the decisions that can be drawn from this intelligence.
Gerhard Conrad emphasizes the critical need for intelligence gathering in today’s world, highlighting that ignorance can lead to fatal outcomes.
In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Conrad was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon in 2008.
Currently, Dr. Conrad serves as a Visiting Professor for Intelligence Studies at King’s College London and teaches at the Hochschule des Bundes für Verwaltung in Berlin within the master’s program “Intelligence and Security Studies (MISS),” as well as at Paris University Sciences Po. His national and international publications primarily focus on European intelligence cooperation and the German security framework.
Dr. Gerhard Conrad is also active as a board member of the Gesprächskreis Nachrichtendienste in Deutschland e.V. (Discussion Group Intelligence Services in Germany) (www.gknd.org), contributing to political consulting on security policy and intelligence matters.
