THE HAGUE, 23/11/06 - Education and Science State Secretary Bruno Bruins is making half a million euros available for the establishment of an expertise and training centre for securities studies in The Hague.

The universities of Leiden and Delft will set up the centre. They will also involve other universities and research institutions. The centre is to focus on questions on international, national and technological security, such as security for computer systems, risks of terrorist attacks on industrial complexes and peace-keeping operations.

The intention is that the Dutch centre should become a leading centre in Europe, according to Bruins. He sees opportunities for collaboration with the US Georgetown University, which has a highly regarded centre for security studies.