On 30 January 2026, the NATO Defense College held the Graduation Ceremony for Senior Course 147. The event was attended by a wide range of distinguished military and civilian representatives, including Ambassadors and Defence Attachés, as well as NDC staff and the families of Course Members. The Deputy Chair of the Military Committee Lieutenant General Winston Brooks, Guest of Honour of the Ceremony, and the Italian Chief of Defence General Luciano Portolano notably attended the event. The Ceremony highlighted the programme’s relevance and its key role in strengthening cooperation and shared understanding among Allies and partner countries.
Running twice a year, the Senior Course is the NATO Defense College’s flagship academic programme, designed to prepare the Alliance’s future leaders by fostering strategic awareness and deepening understanding of today’s global security environment and of the complex challenges facing NATO. This Course brought together a diverse and multinational cohort of 75 Course Members from 33 Allied and partner nations, offering them a meaningful collective learning experience.
The Ceremony was opened by the NDC Commandant, Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, who reminded the audience of the Course’s mission, which has remained unchanged ever since its creation: “To prepare the leaders of the future, for the future.” LGEN Nielsen underscored the College’s vital role in preparing and equipping NATO’s leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle the security challenges the Alliance is facing today, as well as the challenges it will face tomorrow. Reflecting on the NDC’s motto, “Unitatem Alentes; Promote Unity”, he underlined the importance of fostering solidarity and unity among Allies and partner nations to confront these challenges together.
In his Graduation Address, Deputy Chair of the Military Committee Lieutenant General Winston Brooks echoed the Commandant’s words and reiterated the importance of cooperation and collective thinking. Importantly, he underscored the value of the NDC’s Senior Course in providing graduates with a valuable professional network that contributes to the Alliance’s cohesion and strategic advantage.
Before concluding the Ceremony, Lieutenant General Nielsen and Lieutenant General Brooks awarded this year’s Eisenhower Prize to Committee 7 for its Committee Study Project (CSP) examining how NATO can better prepare for cognitive warfare, notably focusing on the importance of resilience. The award recognizes both the analytical depth of the project and the Committee’s commitment to addressing emerging strategic challenges. Furthermore, one SC 147 Committee completed the Innovation Project Pilot, experimenting with new tools and methodologies to find innovative solutions to contemporary problems facing the Alliance.
The CSPs are the outcome of several months of collective work in Committees, reflecting on the Alliance’s most pressing and relevant matters. Central to the Senior Course’s curriculum, Committee work offers Course Members direct exposure to multinational and multicultural strategic thinking, preparing them for future roles within multilateral organizations.
The graduation of Senior Course 147 marks another important milestone in the NATO Defence College’s continuing efforts to promote collective strategic thinking and to equip future leaders for an evolving and increasingly complex security environment.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Irene Rodriguez Fernandez, ESP C)
NATO Defense College