Hanaa El Hajji

Biography

Hanaa El Hajji joined the Egmont Institute in February 2025 as a Programme Assistant for the European Affairs Programme. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations & Diplomacy, specializing in Global Security. While writing her thesis, Hanaa worked on a documentary for VRTNWS, the news department of the Flemish public broadcaster.

Throughout her studies, Hanaa specialized in Middle Eastern politics both academically and professionally. She interned for Rudi Vranckx, VRT’s Middle East correspondent, and worked as a research assistant at Tel Aviv University, focusing on war reporting and the politics of memory in the Arab world.

Her interest in Europe’s Security and Defence led her to pursue an advanced LL.M. in International and European Law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. She joined the European Affairs Programme with a particular interest in the EU’s approach to the Arctic.