From 4 to 8 September 2023, the NATO Defense College welcomed Modular Short Course 143-1, that focused on “Contemporary NATO”. The Course, which ran concurrently with Senior Course 143, examines how NATO adjusts to its constantly evolving and demanding operational environment in order to be present and relevant now and in the years ahead.
MSC 143-1 features a daily discussion in Committee, followed by a lecture, a Q&A session, and a consolidatory discussion in Committee. This affords Course Members an overview and debate of some of the global security concerns recognized within the programme scope referred to as “Contemporary NATO.”
Day 1 opened with warm words of welcome from the NATO Defense College Commandant Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, who greeted participants in the Main Auditorium.
The week-long module was introduced by Colonel Jan Cirek and the NDC Faculty Advisors: Colonel Jörg Prescher for Committee 1, and Ms. Nancy Vellone for Committee 2. Professor Charles A. Kupchan delivered a lecture on “NATO in the New Multipolar Order” in the Main Auditorium. The afternoon ended with a talk on “How NATO Works”, by Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr Patrick Wouters and Mr. Joris Ghesquiere.
On Day 2, Professor Sten Rynning and Dr John R. Deni tackled “The Transatlantic Link – The Cornerstone of the Alliance”, followed by Committee sessions in the afternoon.
Day 3 was devoted to “Great Power Competition in NATO’s South” as vividly explained by Dr Pierre Razoux and Dr Irene Martinez.
Day 4 began with presentations on “The Security Landscape in Europe from a NATO Perspective”, delivered remotely, by Mr. Ian Bond, Professor Hans Stark and Professor Soli Özel.
Lastly, to conclude the Modular Short Course, Dr Jan Joel Andersson, Ms. Benedikta von Seherr- Thoß delivered remotely a presentation on “European Security and Defense Policy and Cooperation with NATO”. The MSC 143-1 concluded with the conferment of certificates in the Main Auditorium, presided by NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Nielsen.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Mr David Lucio Rossi, ITA C)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN