NATO Defense College

NATO Defense College (NDC) is an international military college for North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in Rome, Italy.

The idea of a NATO Defense College originated with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first Supreme Allied Commander Europe, who identified very early on the need for a new international institution with a unique education mission. On 19 November 1951, the NATO Defense College opened its doors to Course 1 in Paris. In 1966, France withdrew from the Alliance's integrated military structure and the College moved to the EUR quartier of Rome, where it continues to fulfil its mission. On 10 September 1999, the new College building, twice the size of the old one, was inaugurated in Cecchignola Città Militare, a military zone 2 km from the former site. On 13-14 October 2016, the NATO Defense College celebrated the 50th anniversary of its move to Rome and the 65th anniversary of its foundation.

In response to Strategic Guidance issued to the NDC by the North Atlantic Council and the NATO Military Committee (MC123/8), the NDC Mission is:

The commandant is an officer with the rank of Lieutenant-General; on November 29, 2016 Lieutenant-General Chris Whitecross (Royal Canadian Air Force) assumed command.

To accomplish its mission the College is organized into four main divisions that perform education and research tasks coordinated by the dean (civilian equivalent of a 2-star general) of the College.

The divisions work closely together to provide breadth, flexibility and quality of high-level strategic education.

The Director of Management (a Brigadier General) supervises management of the NDC’s financial and technical resources with the aim of improving the quality of life in the College and creating the best conditions for work and study.

Six regular courses are held at the College:

Research at the NATO Defense College, carried out by the Research Division (RD), provides the NATO’s senior leaders with timely analyses and recommendations on current issues concerning the Alliance. The activities of the RD can help to convey NATO’s positions to the wider audience of the international strategic community. The RD performs its tasks mainly through research papers – short academic essays and academic reports, and forum papers – in-depth studies, analyses and reports.

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