Module 3 – 12th Advanced Course for Political Advisers in CSDP Missions and Operations
The third and last module of the 12th advanced course for political advisers in CSDP missions and operations successfully ended on 8 September in Vienna, Austria. The Austrian National Defence Academy organised Module 3 under the aegis of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). The first two modules took place in Brussels in April and in July 2023.
The course aims to give participants an understanding of the challenges political advisers working in CSDP missions and operations are likely to face in their pivotal role and to enhance their skills through the exchange of views and perspectives.
Throughout the week, political advisers active in missions and operations gave participants – most of whom are appointed to work in this role in the near future – most interesting lectures and briefings. These shared experiences were deemed extremely valuable by all participants and added a lot to the learning experience. The group exercise, which saw course members interact with one another and discuss specific tasks assigned was a true highlight of the week.
In his closing lecture, Dr Sven Biscop from Brussels based Egmont Institute gave an in-depth overview of the future of the Common Security and Defence Policy and a very lively Q&A session followed.
In addition to offering an opportunity for knowledge development, the course was a useful networking platform designed to foster and harmonise cooperation among people with different experiences and expertise to share.
The ESDC would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants and speakers for their dedication to the course. Special thanks go to the Austrian National Defence Academy for the support and collaboration during the organisation and execution of the last module of the course.
