Opening of the Joint Command and General Staff Course 2012/2013 and the Higher Command Studies Course 2012

The Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) started a new school year on 13 August with the assembling of the Joint Command and General Staff Course (JCGSC) 2012/13 and the Higher Command Studies Course (HCSC) 2012 to the Main Hall. The Commandant of the College welcomed the students and wished them luck. He stressed that studying here at the College is team work and reminded also to have fun in the process.

The core mission of the BALTDEFCOL is accomplished through the 11 month long JCGSC which is a unique course within the context of NATO as it is the only example of several nations deciding against educating their general staff officers on a national basis and instead opting to pool their resources to provide a common education for their officials at this level of professional development.

 The student body of the JCGSC 2012/2013 consists of a mix of students from versatile nations. This year, the JCGSC welcomed 51 students from 15 different countries. Students come from Armenia (1), Azerbaijan (1), Bosnia-Herzegovina (1), Canada (1), Georgia (2), Estonia (11), Latvia (11), Lithuania (13), Moldova (1), Montenegro (1), Norway (1), Poland (1), Serbia (1), Ukraine (1) and USA (4).

The HCSC is a 4.5 month long course based on the lectures from many widely known international lecturers, consultants and high ranking officers. This year, the HCSC has 14 students representing 9 countries. The students represent Estonia (2), Georgia (2), Latvia (1), Lithuania (4), Japan (1), Moldova (1), Slovenia (1), Ukraine (1) and UK (1).