On 19 February 2019, the NATO Defense College celebrated the inauguration of its two major courses, Senior Course 134 and the twenty-first edition of the NATO Regional Cooperation Course.
Distinguished guests, Course Members and NDC staff gathered in the Mainard-Thorn Auditorium to celebrate the beginning of another academic semester. In view of growing instability in the international system and to demonstrate resilience towards multifaceted threats, NATO needs leaders who are able to adapt and think outside the box. With these words, the NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Chris Whitecross welcomed the audience, explaining how over the next few months Course Members will acquire insights into strategic thinking, analysis and consensus building; she encouraged them to take full advantage of the strong networks they will build.
Guest of honour Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chairman of the Military Committee (CMC) congratulated Course Members on their selection and encouraged them to get full benefit from the extensive curricula offered at the NDC, but especially, to develop a sense of teamwork and build their networks, which would sustain them in their future national and international endeavours. In his motivating speech, he quoted NATO’s Secretary General by saying: “In uncertain times we need stronger, not weaker institutions”, and the NDC is certainly a remarkable forum on which to build this mission.
The current Senior Course sees the participation of 77 high-ranking military and civilian officials from 33 NATO member states and partners. Lasting more than five months, the Senior Course is the NDC’s flagship course providing strategic-level education and offering participants a unique opportunity to enhance their academic skills and their professional relations in the eternal city of Rome, but also abroad with three Field Studies, where there will be opportunities to meet national and regional decision-makers.
NRCC-21 will run alongside the Senior Course, with 37 military and civilian representatives from 19 countries from the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), Global Partners and NATO. The main focus of the strategic-level course is to encourage closer cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, by analysing key political, military, social and economic trends while also enabling participants to discuss NATO’s potential role in helping to address present and future challenges.
The NDC staff joins the Commandant in wishing all participants a successful start in their academic endeavours.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Ilaria Latorre, ITA C)
NATO Defense College