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HIGHLIGHT
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8 months, 30 participants, 25 countries, 150 guest speakers: 28th International Training Course in Security Policy (ITC) already in full swing
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"I applied for this programme because the course has significant impact not only on my career development but also on the security of my country. It is my expectation that graduating from this course will boost my performance and competencies" (course participant). Starting on 8 October and lasting for a period of 8 months, the 28th edition of the course brings together 30 participants (mid-career diplomats, civil servants, military officers and members of the wider security community) from 25 countries and four continents who are being trained in the most important aspects of current international security policy. More than half of the participants have chosen to follow the accredited Master of Advanced Studies in International and European Security track that is delivered in collaboration with the Global Studies Institute of the University of Geneva.
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NEWS
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The GCSP "is the only place in the world where you can find an Indian colonel sitting next to a Pakistani female human rights researcher. Or a lieutenant-colonel from the U.S. Air Force next to a North Korean major. We bring together people from very diverse cultures and horizons, over a period of 8 months. That is the 'Esprit de Genève'!". >>Read the full article (in French)
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EXPERTS' CORNER
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On 14 October, the GCSP was featured on the Swiss TV channel RTS in their series " International Cooperation: a profession". In the 3-minute video (available in French), the Centre is presented by Dr Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, Head of the Regional Capacitiy Development Programme: "Our objective is to train decision-makers so that they can better respond to chan ging and complex security challenges. Such challenges are becoming more and more global." >>Watch the video | 
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ALUMNI CORNER
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Looking back at the 2013 Annual Alumni and Security Policy Conference in Berlin (17-19 October)Who are the new players in foreign and security policy in Europe? How do they fit in the multilateral architecture traditionally shaped by actors such as the EU and NATO? How can Europe collectively face current challenges such as emerging security issues (e.g. cyber-security), demographic transitions, the economic crisis and the realignment of US strategic interests? These questions were the focus of the 2013 GCSP Annual Alumni and Security Policy Conference held in Berlin on 17 and 18 October, in cooperation with Germany's Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS). Following the 2012 edition in Geneva, this year's conference brought together an audience of some 120 participants who had the opportunity to enjoy stimulating discussions, gather new knowledge and ideas, as well as share experiences and opinions with decision-makers, practitioners and researchers from around the world. >>Session summaries & Programme >>Photos
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COURSES & EVENTS
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Following a first roundtable held in March 2012, and as the crisis situation in Syria has deteriorated, the GCSP is convening a follow-up event with a view to examine further the evolution and implications of the ongoing crisis, and reflect jointly on informed, practical and constructive avenues of international engagement towards crisis resolution. >>More
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Organised jointly with the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA), the course brought together 19 participants (3 women, 16 men) from different ministries of the Afghan government and from the civil society. It provided them with a toolbox for dealing with various challenges that the government and Afghan civil society are expected to face, especially in light of the upcoming 2014 change of mission of the international forces in the country. >>More
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More Activities>> |
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TESTIMONIAL
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Ms Alyaa Al-Mannai, participant in 15th Annual Middle East and North Africa Training Course on New Issues in Security (21-25 October)
"As a young professional, it is a great privilege to have had the opportunity to attend this course. Both the speakers and my fellow participants - who come from a variety of countries (including European ones) and backgrounds - have an incredible wealth of first-hand experience and information to share. Take the Arab revolutions for instance: many in the class were there, on the ground, when it happened. It is their own reality that they are sharing, not that of the media or anybody else.
The field trips represented another very enriching aspect of the course. When visiting the Swiss Parliament in Bern, I definitely learned a lot about Switzerland's foreign and security policy, which is not very often reported on internationally. When visiting the Spiez Laboratory (editor's note: the Swiss Institute for the protection against nuclear, biological and chemical threats), I was very surprised to learn that they were one of the four specialized laboratories which analyzed samples taken in Syria for the recent UN report.
Upon my return to Qatar, I will give a thorough presentation to my colleagues, in order to make sure that I can pass on to them as much of this new knowledge as possible. In the future, I hope to return to the GCSP. I would like to attend courses on disarmament in particular."
Ms Alyaa Al-Mannai
International Affairs Researcher
Disarmament Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar
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