NATO and Iraq strengthen cooperation on defence education

These experts met with representatives of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence Training Directorate, the leadership of the Defence University for Military Studies, and staff from the National Defence College, the War College, the Defence Language Institute, the Staff College, the Command College, the Military College, and the Centre for Strategic Studies and Research.

The initial phase of the Defence Education Enhancement Programme for Iraq will be focused on three institutions under the umbrella of the Defence University for Military Studies, namely the War College, the National Defence College, and the Defence Language Institute. With them, the team of experts discussed plans on the development of academic curricula and the development of instructors and institutional capabilities. They will now complete an assessment report and take further steps in close cooperation with the Defence University’s leadership. The Defence Education Enhancement Programme for Iraq is foreseen to be implemented in the course of 2019-2021.

The Commander of the NATO Mission Iraq, Major General Dany Fortin and the group of visiting subject matter experts also participated in the Defence Language Institute English Course Graduation Ceremony, which took place on 11 April.

The Defence Education Enhancement Programme is a vehicle for reform, as it provides tailored practical support to individual countries in developing their own Professional Military Education institutions. Through faculty development, curriculum development and peer-to-peer consultations, this programme fosters defence capacity and institution building. In addition to the newly initiated programme in Iraq, NATO is currently running similar programmes in 14 countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, the Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Serbia, Tunisia, and Ukraine.