NATO Defense Education Enhancement Program Experts Visit Armenia

YEREVAN — On 22 March the NATO Defense Education Enhancement Program Expert Group visited the National Defense Research University (NDRU) of Armenia. The guests were hosted by Lieutenant General Hayk Kotanjian, Founding Head, NDRU, Doctor of Political Science, Professor.

He underlined the NATO Expert Group’s support in the process of the defense education reforms in the RA. Professor Kotanjian stated that at the NDRU the education process was implemented through the adaptation of the Western universities and institutes’ model, and Russian think tanks’ experience – transferring the products of the academic-applied research activity of the research component as knowledge, to the auditorium.

The guests were briefed on the main results of the Inter-Agency Executive Education 4-week course of October-November, 2017, as well as on the NDRU-elaborated draft program of the Inter-Agency Executive Education 8-week course. It was emphasized that the course was scheduled to kick off in May-June this year, with participation of the Deputy Ministers from the agencies involved in the defense sphere.

Hayk Kotanjian mentioned that the NDRU had launched the review of the RA National Security Strategy. The Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), MOD, RA, was the academic coordinator of the first RA National Security Strategy, and now the NDRU, established through the transformation of the INSS, uses the methodology and knowledge acquired through that process.

At the meeting, Colonel Suren Davtyan, Head, National Institute for Strategic Defense Security Education–Deputy Head in Education, NDRU, made a report.

Brigadier-General (Ret.) Ernest B. Beno from Canada, Member, NATO DEEP Expert Group, delivered a lecture on the “Education of Strategic Leaders in the Inter-Agency Collaborative Environment”.

The presentation was followed by a discussion during which the guests asked questions to the NDRU research fellows. At the end of the meeting the NATO DEEP experts expressed their contentment with the visit.