The Field Studies are the constant feature running from the first Senior Course up to the present day. Initially, the trips were conducted in the Alliance countries bordering with France and lasted about three days. Gradually they were extended to other European countries and their duration was increased to two weeks. The overall duration of Field Studies on the Senior Course was at one stage almost as much as 50 days, including a trip specifically dedicated to Italy. In 1963, the first overseas trip took course members to the United States and Canada. The format of two Field Study periods, the “European Perspective” and the “Transatlantic Link”, continued until 2010. Starting from Senior Course 117, these were complemented by a third Field Study period on “Regional Approaches”.The aim is to provide course members with a more effective overview of the topics dealt with during the visits and to reduce total travelling time.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Excerpt from NATO Defense College 60th Anniversary Chronicle Book, Mario Masdea and Valerie Kasseckert, 2011, p .11)
NATO Defense College 
