On 31 March, Euro-ISME and C&V Defence awarded the 2026 Benoît Royal Prize to Prof. Dr. Tine Molendijk for her outstanding research on moral injury and the ethical dimensions of war.
This recognition comes amid growing strategic complexity, as the foundations and values of the Europe come under increasing scrutiny.
Launched by Euro-ISME and sponsored by C&V Defence, the Benoît Royal prize honours individuals or organisations whose work has made a significant contribution to defence and military ethics, highlighting the importance of ethical reflection in military operations, industry, research and public policy.
The Benoît Royal Prize: promoting ethics in defence
Named in honour of French Brigadier General (ret.) Benoît Royal, Euro-ISME’s first President and a pioneering advocate of ethical military practice, the prize reflects a shared commitment to strengthening integrity within the international defence community and highlights the importance of ethical standards in an increasingly complex security environment.
The Prize is presented to individuals or organisations whose work has had a significant impact on the field through influential publications, major research achievements, innovative teaching and training, acts of moral courage, or sustained ethical leadership.
Recognising research on moral injury in military operations
The inaugural Benoît Royal Prize honours Prof. Dr. Molendijk’s exceptional work on the ethical and moral dimensions of war and military operations, with a particular focus on the concept of moral injury. Through her research at Radboud University and the Netherlands Defence Academy, she has brought greater visibility to the ethical challenges faced by military and police professionals in contemporary defence contexts, contributing to more ethically grounded policymaking and fostering deeper understanding between armed forces and civil society.
Her key contributions include leading a major research project on moral injury among uniformed military and police personnel since 2020, the publication of the monograph Moral Injury and Soldiers in Conflict: Moral Meaning in the Shadows of War (Routledge, 2022), and the delivery of two advisory reports to the Dutch Parliament addressing ethical questions related to defence policy and veterans’ care between 2024 and 2025.
A Brussels platform connecting defence stakeholders
The Benoît Royal Prize was presented during a dedicated event organised by C&V Defence in Brussels, bringing together representatives from the defence industry, European institutions and the research community.
The event reflects Brussels’ growing role as a hub for dialogue on the ethical, societal and strategic dimensions of European defence.
About Euro-ISME
The European Chapter of the International Society for Military Ethics (Euro-ISME) is an organisation that brings together academics, military practitioners, and educators committed to promoting ethics in military practice.
Founded in 2011, Euro-ISME provides a platform for dialogue and analysis on professional responsibility, the law of armed conflict, and the human rights dimensions of defence. It supports ethics education across European armed forces, promotes harmonised ethical standards, and contributes to a global network of military ethics societies. Every year since 2015, Euro-ISME has awarded a prize for the best European student’s thesis (Masters of Arts) on military ethics.
Learn more: https://www.euroisme.eu/en/
About C&V Defence
C&V Defence, a Belgian SME established in 2020, supports European companies in developing sustainable and ethical strategies in the EU and NATO defence markets. With a firm belief in the importance of ethics and responsibility in defence innovation, C&V Defence integrates these values into every aspect of its work, notably through its involvement in the European Defence Fund. Through enhancing strategic capabilities and promoting responsible innovation, C&V Defence aims to contribute to the development of a more resilient and principled European defence landscape.
Within C&V Defence, the teams are committed to supporting and working with those who ensure that a weapon system can be used for fair reasons, because it is and can be used legally and ethically and not just for the legitimacy for which it is used.
Contact info:
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