Rubén Arcos

Rubén Arcos is a Professor at the University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) in Madrid, Spain, where he serves as Director of International Programs and leads research in the Ciberimaginario group on Digital Culture and Communication.
He holds a visiting role at the College of Europe (Bruges) in the EU International Relations department.

Key Affiliations:

• Chair of Intelligence Studies Section, International Studies Association (ISA)
• Co-founder of the International Online Intelligence Hub (IntelHub)
• Member of NATO STO Research Task Groups (SAS-189, SAS-ET-FG, SAS-114)
• Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence

Research Focus: Hybrid Threats, Disinformation, Strategic Communication, EU Security Policy, Intelligence Analysis, and Digital Culture. His work bridges academia and practice through projects like the EU-HYBNET network and the DOMINOES Erasmus+. Recent publications explore disinformation's impact on democracies and climate policy.

Recent Projects:

• Co-PI of EU-HYBNET (Pan-European Hybrid Threat Network)
• Lead of the MOOC Strategic Communication to Counter Security Threats (ITU Prize Winner)
• Contributor to NATO/STO initiatives on predictive intelligence and uncertainty communication

Awards:

• 2023 ITU WSIS Prize for Digital Innovation in Security Education
• NATO SAS Excellence Award for Project SAS-114

Academic Leadership:

• Directed Spain's first MA in Intelligence Analysis (2010–2018)
• Co-organized major conferences like StratComES and NATO's Hybrid Threat workshop
• Teaches courses on strategic communication, intelligence analysis, and EU security across 15+ countries