Celebrated today the graduation ceremony of the 23rd NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-23) at NATO Defense College (NDC). Guest of honor Franco Frattini, former foreign minister in Berlusconi governments and former European Commissioner, currently president of SIOI (Italian Society for the International Organization) and section president at the Council of State.
A ceremony different from the previous ones, with the delivery of diplomas online, which despite the limitations saw the presence of about 120 participants including students of the NRCC and Senior Course 136 - currently still busy with the courses - and of the NDC staff. All connected online and motivated not to give way too much to the changes this pandemic is imposing.
NDC Air Force General Commander Chris Whitecross (photo), stressed the adaptability and resilience shown by the course participants, as well as their motivation for completing the academic program remotely.
The NRCC-23 started on February 17th with the presence of 32 students from 17 countries. Given the exceptional circumstances related to the Coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19) in Italy, the NRCC-23 'official' scheduled program was canceled on March 17, 2020. However, thanks to the readiness of academic reprogramming of the College, 12 members of the course of 8 countries were accommodated in a single committee to continue with a readapted program, allowing them to benefit from some teaching modules of the Senior Course.
During his introductory speech at the ceremony, General Whitecross encouraged the course members to keep the network of contacts built at the College steadfast and to retrace some important stages of the academic path just completed: the skills acquired at the College will be valuable for their future international assignments.
Minister Franco Frattini, welcomed with pleasure the opportunity to turn to a virtual audience, insisted on the role of the Atlantic Alliance in the international scenario and the importance of sharing knowledge and information with partners: "NATO's role is evolving because the world is evolving. " Being together and understanding each other has never been so important.
As part of the high level strategic education provided by NATO Defense College, the NATO Regional Cooperation Course plays a key role in developing a common culture of collective security between NATO and partner countries. It is a tailor-made program with particular attention to the MENA region, which is based on academic preparation for discussing political-military issues, but also on building lasting relationships between the participants.
Photo: NDC
