ESDC’s First Orientation Course for 2021

Our first iteration of ESDC Common Security and Defence Policy Orientation Course for 2021 took place between 25-29 January. ESDC had the honor to co-organize this course with the Institute of Research & Training on European Affairs (our Greek partner).  The course reunited 38 participants from 16 EU Member States and EU Institutions.

As the Orientation Course aims to support EU Member States and EU institutions and agencies in training their own personnel to be able to work in CSDP-related fields at operational and strategic level, speakers from academia, national and European institutions presented a variety of topics and viewpoints to the participants, who benefitted from the diversity of the presenters’ backgrounds and training. The topics ranged from International Strategic Competition, European Strategic Autonomy, EU Integrated Approach to CSDP Missions and Operations & Cybersecurity, Crisis Management and the role of media monitoring, Cybersecurity & Hybrid threats etc., being based both on presentations and on Q&A sessions.

Despite the fact that the CSDP Orientation Course took place entirely online, there was a large amount of preoccupation in regard to the participants’ involvement and intervention, both in the sense of the interactivity but as well through an extensive Crisis Management exercise, which challenged the participants to simulate their involvement in a scenario-based activity.

We would like to thank all participants, speakers and  IRTEA, our co-organizer for their trust in the ESDC and promise to continue providing trainings to the highest standards.