On 14th and 15th March 2011, a group of 41 students attending the Master’s degree course in Peacekeeping and Security Studies at the “Roma Tre” University Faculty of Political Sciences visited the NATO Defense College. This afforded the group valuable insight into NATO and its relationships with International Organizations.
On the first morning of the visit, after a warm welcome by the College’s Commandant, LtGen Wolf-Dieter LOESER, the students attended a Senior Course 118 panel lecture on “The United Nations”. The speakers were Prof. BERDAL (NOR) and Ms DAVIES (GBR).
After the lecture LtCol MASDEA, Chief of Public Affairs at the College, accompanied the group on a guided tour of the premises. Later in the day they were briefed on the College’s activities, received an introduction to NATO and listened to a talk on “The New Strategic Concept”.
Next morning the group attended another lecture in the main Auditorium. The subject was “The European Union”, and the speaker was Dr VAN HAM (NLD). Later in the morning the students were given an introduction to the UN-NATO relationship, by LtCol MASDEA.
During the afternoon, the group had the opportunity to attend a session of NATO Regional Cooperation Course NRCC-5. This allowed them to hear a lecture by H.E. MENOUAR ALEM, Ambassador of Morocco to the European Union, on “Morocco and its relationship with the EU”.
The visit ended with a lecture on “The UN-NATO relationship” by Dr SMITH-WINDSOR of the NDC Research Division, which afforded the group further insight into the topic introduced in the morning.
For the students it was a very good opportunity to be in contact for the first time with the NDC, and learn about NATO’s structure, aims and relations with other important organizations working in the field of international security and peacekeeping.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Valerie Kasseckert, DEU C, Mr Patrick Marrone, ITA C)
NATO Defense College 