The research department, Center for International Security and Governance, was affiliated with HKP since 2014 as a scientific institution of the University of Bonn. The work of the CISG in research and teaching was consistently oriented towards an expanded concept of security, which, in addition to focusing on military threats and means, also includes topics such as migration, food security and climate change in the analysis. In addition to promoting science communication, an international network of cooperation partners from the USA, the EU and numerous German cities was established. 

Since 2016, the CISG and its successor, CASSIS, have been organizing this international security policy conference. The International Security Forum Bonn serves on the one hand as a platform for scientific exchange and on the other hand establishes a high practical relevance. Every year, up to 60 high-ranking experts from the fields of foreign, security and defense policy, academics from think tanks and renowned universities, as well as experts from business and the media take part. In the forum's formats, current and upcoming foreign and security policy challenges are discussed and strategic approaches to solutions are conceived with the help of the combined scientific expertise. Each year, the results of the conference are recorded in a prominent and attractive report, which also offers the authors the opportunity for further reflection.

The Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies was established in 2019 as the successor to CISG. With the new foundation, the transdisciplinary analysis of strategic and security policy challenges of the international community of states should be strengthened, and the research profile of the university in the UN and federal city of Bonn should be expanded. In addition to research and teaching in this thematic area, CASSIS maintains close cooperation with institutions in development policy and the sustainability sector. The core tasks of CASSIS include the transdisciplinary networking of scholars in the broad field of security policy as well as the regular organization of public events. For this purpose, it is always pleased to welcome renowned personalities and cooperation partners from science and practice. In its implementation, CASSIS often cooperates with international universities, such as Leiden University (Netherlands) or Reichman University (Israel), and with various associations and renowned foundations, such as the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom or the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.