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| Updated: 04-Nov-2002 | NATO Publications |
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The NATO Defense College, located in Rome, is under the direction of the Military Committee. An independent Advisory Board advises the Commandant and submits recommendations on academic programmes and curricula to the Military Committee. The College runs strategic level courses on politico-military issues designed to prepare selected personnel for NATO and NATO-related appointments as well as undertaking other programmes and activities in support of NATO. Officers and officials from the Alliance's Cooperation Partner countries participate in the programme of the College. The Commandant of the College is an officer of at least Lieutenant General rank, or equivalent, who is appointed by the Military Committee for a three-year period. He is assisted by a civilian Deputy Commandant and a military Deputy Commandant provided by the host nation, Italy. The Chairman of the Military Committee chairs the College's Academic Advisory Board. The Faculty of the College is composed of military officers and civilian officials normally from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Member countries. The College was established in Paris in 1951 and transferred to Rome in 1966. It organises nine or ten different courses and seminars a year on security issues relevant to the Euro-Atlantic security situation, catering for a wide variety of senior officers from the armed forces, high-level government servants, academics and parliamentarians. Virtually all the College's activities are open to participants from both NATO and Partnership for Peace countries. Participants are selected and funded by their respective national authorities. A number of activities have also recently been opened to participants from countries participating in NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue. The core activity of the College is a Senior Course, which is held twice a year and lasts five and a half months. It is attended by up to 84 course members selected by their own Governments on a national quota basis. Its members are either military officers holding the rank of Colonel or Lieutenant Colonel, or civilian officials of equivalent status from Ministries of Foreign Affairs or Defence and other relevant government departments or national institutions. Most course members go on to staff appointments in NATO Commands or national NATO related posts in their own countries. The Course Curriculum covers the developments in international politics in general and politico-military issues on security and stability affecting the Member and Partner Nations. At the beginning of each Course, participants are assigned to multinational, multiservice Committees guided by a member of the College Faculty. Daily lectures are given by visiting academics, politicians, high ranking military and civil servants. The focus of the preparations and discussions undertaken by participants is on achieving consensus. In 1991 the College introduced a two-week Course for senior officers and civilians from the then CSCE countries. The following year, the Course was integrated into the regular Senior Course as an Integrated PfP/OSCE Course. Its aim is to analyse the mission, policies and security functions of the NATO Alliance and its structures and organisation and to discuss current security issues within the context of the changing Euro-Atlantic security situation. Two General Flag Officers’ Courses are organised every year with objectives of enhancing the understanding of current politico-military issues and concerns of the Alliance and to develop common perspectives between participants. The first of these is a one week course, in April, conducted at the College and is open to participants from NATO, PfP and Mediterranean Dialogue countries. The other is a two week course conducted in October. The first week is held at the College and is open to NATO and PfP participants. The second week is for NATO attendees only and is dedicated to field studies and briefings at NATO HQ and military commands. A Conference of Commandants is held every year, bringing together the Commandants of senior national defence colleges of NATO and PfP countries to exchange views on academic philosophies and educational methods. The Conference is chaired by the Commandant of the NATO Defense College. The College participates as a full member in the Secretariat of the Consortium of Defence Academies and Security Studies Institutes, a non-NATO cooperative educational body. In this capacity, the College provides the focal military point of contact within NATO to this Consortium. The College organises an International Research Seminar on Euro-Atlantic Security every year, in cooperation with an academic institution from one of the PfP countries. Its objective is to bring together security experts from NATO and Partner countries and to debate topics of importance to the Euro-Atlantic security situation. An International Research Seminar with Mediterranean Dialogue Countries also takes place annually. The College offers separate Fellowships twice a year in the field of security studies to nationals of Partnership for Peace and Mediterranean Dialogue countries. The Fellowship is designed to promote individual scholarly research on security topics of particular interest to these countries. Papers presented and discussed as an integral part of the international Research Seminars and research papers by recipients of fellowships are frequently published in the NATO Defense College’s Monograph series. The College generates a strong corporate spirit among its graduates and organises an annual seminar for its alumni. In 1999 the NATO Defense College moved into new purpose-built premises in Rome, designed to accommodate larger courses and to equip the College for its expanded tasks. For further information contact:
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