GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Aug. 29, 2025 -- Polish Maj. Daria Nowak, Ph.D., the ninth alumni scholar this year, presented her research on hybrid warfare and the weaponization of migration to the Marshall Center Aug. 29. 

Nowak, the 118th Alumni Scholar since the program’s inception in 2004 and the seventh overall scholar from Poland, is both an academic and a security practitioner. A graduate of the Seminar on Irregular Warfare and Hybrid Threats, Nowak serves as a lecturer at the Faculty of International and Political Studies, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and as an analyst at the Joint Analysis Branch of the Polish Special Operations Forces Command.  

Her research, advised by Professor Sebastian von Muenchow, Ph.D., focused on Deterrence in Hybrid Warfare: Countering Russian & Belarussian Weaponization of Migration against NATO/EU. She argued that since 2021, Belarus and Russia have deliberately orchestrated migration flows to test NATO cohesion, strain EU resources, and undermine public trust. 

“Russia and Belarus are not looking for open confrontation,” Nowak said. “Instead, they weaken us step by step—eroding our economic potential, political stability, and social cohesion. They only understand the language of power and force.” 

To counter these hybrid threats, Nowak proposed an approach she termed “active deterrence”—a comprehensive strategy combining diplomatic, informational, military, and economic tools below the threshold of war, while remaining consistent with international law. Her recommendations included closer NATO–EU coordination, investment in advanced border technologies, strengthened societal resilience against disinformation, and legal reforms to better address orchestrated migration campaigns. 

Her research also reflects Poland’s position at the heart of NATO’s eastern flank, where the effects of Russian and Belarussian hybrid tactics are felt most directly. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised Poland as a “model ally,” describing the nation as a strategic frontline partner that leads by example in defense spending and military readiness. Nowak’s analysis underscores why that role is vital, not only for Poland’s security but for the credibility of NATO and the EU as a whole. 

The Marshall Center’s Alumni Scholars Program, now in its 21st year, allows graduates to return and contribute research on pressing security challenges. Learn more about the program here.