Cian FitzGerald is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of International and European Affairs. He leads the IIEA’s work on Defence and Security, as well as geopolitics. Cian’s research explores irregular and hybrid warfare, and how states use different tools to compete at a geopolitical level. Additionally, he works on developments in EU Common Security and Defence Policy (EU CSDP), and matters pertaining to Ireland’s defence and security.
In 2023, Cian appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence to provide evidence on Russian cyber and hybrid warfare operations and how they threaten critical national infrastructure. His research has featured in both Irish national and international media including Al-Jazeera, RTE, the Irish Examiner, and the Irish Times.