From 23rd to 27th of September 2019, the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) mobile education team, consisting of six experts, delivered a Module on Strategy Formulation for the National Defence University of Ukraine (NDU) named after Ivan Cherniakhovskyi. This module was developed based on the request from the NDU and supported by the NATO Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP). The aim of the module was to introduce course participants to the role of leadership, the concept of national security strategy and strategy formulation.

The student audience consisted of the Defence Management Course participants and officers of the War College Course, as well as some NDU faculty members. The module itself consisted of topics relevant to strategy formulation and strategic level leadership, including lecture on current security challenges, a thought-provoking academic lecture on defence strategy formulation and panel discussion on lessons learned from the managing change in the Armed Forces in the Baltic states. The week-long module ended with lectures, syndicate work and discussions on defence management and defence planning.

 
Photos by NDU 

As part of his working visit to Ukraine, Major General Andis Dilāns, Commandant of BALTDEFCOL met with Lieutenant General Anatolii Sirotenko, Commandant of NDU and Major General Sergii Salkutsan, Deputy Commandant on 25th of September. The leaders of the two Professional Military Education (PME) institutions discussed ongoing active and successful cooperation, including the support of NATO DEEP, and outlined future prospects and plans. Later that day, MG Dilāns delivered the abovementioned lecture on “Current Security Challenges and the role of NATO,” which in addition to course participants was attended by leadership and faculty members of the University. The lecture was followed by a lively questions and answers session. In the University, MG Dilāns also met with the former BALTDEFCOL Commandant and current Strategic Advisor on Defence Reform in Ukraine Major General (ret) Vitalijus Vaikšnoras. The topics of discussion touched upon updates within BALTDEFCOL and the Strategy Formulation module delivered by the College. On 26th of September, MG Dilāns observed the delivery of the module and met with H.E. Juris Poikāns, Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine, discussing current developments in BALTDEFCOL.

  
Photos by NDU 

Both the course participants and the NDU faculty assessed this module as highly beneficial, especially due to the teaching approach and methods used by the BALTDEFCOL faculty exposing the course participants to critical thinking and active participation. This module was a pilot project specifically designed for the needs of the NDU using the best practices and BALTDEFCOL faculty’s experience. However, it is just one of the examples of ongoing bilateral cooperation between the BALTDEFCOL and the NDU and one of the many projects supported within NATO DEEP. Besides this particular module, BALTDEFCOL and NDU faculty had an interesting exchange of experiences and discussion on the future cooperation that goes beyond this particular education component.