On 22 November, H.E. Dr Sheikh Ghazi Al-Rawas, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Belgium visited the NATO Defense College in Rome. Ambassador Al-Rawas was welcomed by the Dean of the College, Dr Richard D. Hooker.
The visit of the Omani Ambassador aimed to provide an opportunity to discuss the NDC’s academic and outreach activities with the countries from the Middle East and the Gulf region, in particular through the newly established NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC). This course provides a specialised curriculum focused on the security challenges of the Middle East from both NATO’s and the perspective of partners countries represented in the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) as well as other key countries in the region such as Oman and Saudi Arabia. The objective of the NRCC is about building consensus, mutual respect and being open and tolerant to other opinions. In this way, academic teaching and learning can enhance human interoperability which is so crucial to regional peace and stability.
During his visit, Ambassador Al-Rawas met the course members of the fourth NRCC and observed them as they were conducting the first day of a week-long complex Crisis Management Exercise (CMX) which addresses political, social, economic, and international humanitarian issues. The exercise is meant as a synthesis of the 10-week academic programme of the NRCC and provides a practical way of studying a comprehensive approach to crisis management.
The Dean of the NATO Defense College and the Director of the NATO Regional Cooperation Course, Col. Sandy Guptill (US MC), discussed with Ambassador Al-Rawas possibilities of further bilateral cooperation in the area of education and training.
NDC Public Affairs Office
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
