In response to Strategic Guidance by the North Atlantic Council fhe Mission of the NATO Defense College is to contribute to the effectiveness and cohesion of the Alliance, to foster strategic level thinking, and to develop a major center of education, study, and research. Located in Roma, Italy.
The College’s essential mission is to prepare senior officers, diplomats and civilian officials to hold positions in NATO, in NATO related posts in their capital, and in other multinational organizations. Doing so involves a process of education, not training, in strategic thinking, collaborative decision making skills, and in working in a multinational environment. Sensitivity to cultural and language differences, national positions, regional perspectives, and negotiated consensus are all a part of the process. In a unique multinational setting, we develop what we call “human interoperability” as an important part of the interoperability and standardization required to have a 28 member alliance function. The program of study includes world class lecturers on nearly every aspect of the international security environment, intense committee discussion in groups of nine or ten, both individual and group writing, and case studies and exercises in collaborative decision making.
Selected course members can pursue the dialogue with each lecturer during coffee break, lunch and an afternoon seminar. These morning lectures and their question and answer sessions are preceded and followed by time in committee discussions, examining the key issues associated with the topic. This give-and-take in small groups is the heart of NDC's programme. The faculty advisers strive to draw out each individual, raise the intellectual level of the discussions, and, ideally, bring about a personal engagement in the topic. A highlight of this part of the course is a focused exposure to international negotiation styles and mediation skills.
The Research Division was established first as a Branch at the NDC by direction of the North Atlantic Council in 2002 to “develop its role as a major centre of research on transatlantic security issues.” A number of researchers as well as Fellows from NATO and PfP nations and Voluntary National Contributions (VNC) do research on a number of long range programs devoted to Alliance strategy and policy and the changing strategic environment. In addition, the Research Division hosts a number of International Research Seminars on a variety of topics both in Rome and elsewhere through the Alliance.The aims are:
1) to conduct policy oriented research, analysis and consulting on various security issues;
2) support NATO goals by conveying the Alliance’s positions to a broader audience; and
3) contribute to NATO’s educational outreach.