Opening Ceremony of Higher Command Studies Course 2025 and Ceremony Address and Visit by MG Andrus Merilo

New year brings new beginnings and for BALTDEFCOL, this means the start of the 21st Higher Command Studies Course (HCSC). Today, on 13 January 2025, from 13 countries, 28 officers will start their 7 modules and 23 weeks of education with us.

Their educational aim with us is clear: to enhance their professional capacities and become ever more creative, proactive, agile leaders, policymakers, and top-level managers capable of making sound, decisive, and future-oriented strategic decisions (HCSC 2025 Course Plan, 2024).

 







Pictured: HCSC 2025 and College leadership Pictured: Opening ceremony

The Course was first greeted by the Commandant of the Baltic Defence College, BG Alvydas Šiuparis. Not only did he welcome the Course to Tartu and Baltic Defence College, he congratulated the Course participants for being selected for the Course, calling it a ‘recognition of your professionalism’. What is more, he emphasised the role of BALTDEFCOL to ‘challenge you to think critically, analyse deeply, [and] engage constructively’.

MG Andrus Merilo, the Commander of Estonian Defence Forces coincided his BALTDEFCOL visit with the opening ceremony and delivered the keynote address at the ceremony. MG Merilo called the address ‘the first lesson of the course’. He covered the Estonian strategic approach to defence, but made a point to the course, that you have to combine in defence all levels for effective education and not only to look at the strategic.

Additionally, MG Merilo had an office Call and guestbook signing with BG Šiuparis. PICTURE PICTURE

Picture 1: signing of the guestbook by MG Merilo. Picture 2: From left to right BG Šiuparis, MG Merilo, COL Möls.

The HCSC has had more than 300 graduates since the course started in 2004. The HCSC course continues to be the cornerstone of the strategic-leadership level of professional military education in the Baltics. BALTDEFCOL is delighted to wish the 21st HCSC course a successful academic journey full of determination, dedication, and of course, a bit of luck!


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