Pieter Zhao, PhD candidate in history at Erasmus University Rotterdam and currently a Visiting PhD Student at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, has been awarded the prestigious Admiral Castex Prize by the French Navy and the French Institute of International Affairs.
The prize was presented by the French Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, during the closing ceremony of the Paris Naval Conference 2026, the French Navy’s flagship annual event, attended by senior naval leaders including the heads of the American, British, Italian, and Dutch navies.
The annual Admiral Castex Prize, named after the French admiral renowned as both a naval strategist and geopolitical thinker, recognises original and innovative research on the strategic challenges of the sea. The prize rewards contributions that advance maritime and naval debate while adhering to the highest international academic standards, with particular attention to methodological rigour across disciplines This year’s edition, marking both the 400th anniversary of the French Navy and taking place in a context of hybrid warfare in Europe and rapid developments in autonomous military systems, centred on three themes. Zhao won the prize in the category “From 1626 to 2026: Shifts and Continuities in Naval Warfare.”
His winning essay, based on his ongoing PhD research, examined the re-emergence of non-military and irregular actors in maritime warfare and security, placing these developments within a much longer historical pattern of how states have organised security at sea. The essay offers a concise reflection of the core questions driving his doctoral research: how contemporary maritime security challenges can be better understood through a long-term historical and structural perspective.
Zhao explains that the theme immediately resonated with his work: “As a historian working on contemporary maritime security from a longer-term perspective, I felt compelled to take part. Distilling the essence of my research into a short essay was a real challenge, but also a valuable exercise.”
The prize was awarded by an international jury of senior naval officials and academics. During the ceremony, Amiral Vaujour noted that the jury particularly appreciated the historical approach of the essay, which helps to step back from fast-moving geopolitical developments and examine the deeper structures shaping maritime security. Beyond the award itself, attending the Paris Naval Conference and participating in high-level discussions proved to be an invaluable experience for Zhao’s research and a highlight of his PhD trajectory. He is one of the few non-French recipients of the prize, and the first Dutch scholar to receive this distinction.
In collaboration with the French Institute for International Affairs (IFRI), Zhao’s essay will be developed into a publication, expected to appear in the coming weeks.
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Call for Entries - Admiral Castex Prize - Paris Naval Conference 2026 | Ifri
