والاسـتخبارات، مـع احتـرام ضـرورات الأمـن القومـي ومتطلبـات الشـفافية والمسـاءلة. الدراســات الاســتخباراتية، المدرســة البريطانيــة، الســرية، الكلمــات المفتاحيــة: الشــفافية، الأمــن القومــي، الإصلاح الأكاديمــي، الدراســات الأمنيــة، الأكاديميــا والاســتخبارات، الشــفافية والمســؤولية الديمقراطيــة. Abstract This study examines the trajectory of intelligence studies in Britain, focusing on the transformation from a closed, secrecy-bound field to a recognised academic discipline governed by scientific research standards and democratic accountability mechanisms. The study is based on the premise that the British experience, despite its complexities and contradictions, offers a unique model worth exploring—not as a ready-made template, but as a set of critical lessons and approaches that can inspire and guide similar efforts elsewhere. The research outlines the historical and political context that gave rise to the British school of intelligence studies, emphasising the gradual opening of security institutions to academic inquiry, from the declassification of archives and partial disclosure to the establishment of specialised academic programmes at prestigious institutions such as King’s College London and the University of Buckingham. It also addresses the complex relationship between academia and intelligence agencies, highlighting concerns about academic independence and the limits of critical scholarship. Moreover, the study identifies several structural and political obstacles that hinder the replication of the British experience in Arab contexts, including the dominance of absolute secrecy, lack of transparency, absence of legal frameworks for access to information, limited specialised academic expertise, weak archival practices, and the entrenched overlap between security services and academic institutions. In conclusion, the study advocates for a comprehensive reform approach to establish an Arab academic field in intelligence studies. This approach should focus on developing a legal and institutional environment that guarantees access to information, supporting independent academic research, and encouraging universities to offer specialised programmes. Such efforts would contribute to building a robust body of knowledge on national security and intelligence issues, while balancing the imperatives of national security with the principles of transparency and accountability.
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