HEAD OF THE EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE COLLEGE Brussels, 15 May 2020 To: PSC Ambassadors Subject: Invitation to nominate participants for the 16th Common Security and Defence Policy High Level Course 2020-2021 ‘Jean REY’ The European Security and Defence College (ESDC) is proud to announce its 16th Common Security and Defence Policy High Level Course (CSDP HLC) 2020-2021. The ESDC flagship course will carry the name of Jean REY, as a tribute to the Belgian politician who served as the second President of the European Commission. Jean REY played an important role at the Summit of The Hague in 1969, where the European leaders decided to relaunch European integration with two new initiatives: the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU) and the European Political Cooperation (EPC), which can be seen as the forerunners of respectively the Euro and the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union today. Jean REY was also the chairperson of the board of the College of Europe in Bruges. The current global security environment calls for Europe to transform itself into a global and responsible security actor. The course will address the main CFSP/CSDP policies, developments and trends, and will provide a forum for in-depth debate on current and emerging CSDP issues for senior civilian and military officials. It will look at how the European Union can continue to be a reliable, cooperative and principled global player in preventing and responding to crises and addressing global challenges. The course consists of four residential modules of one week each, to be held in Brussels, Madrid, Paris and Athens, with each of the modules preceded by an eLearning phase. The overall interactive approach of the course will provide participants with a clear understanding of the different aspects of the CSDP within the larger framework of the CFSP. European External Action Service, B-1046 Brussels - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 584 11 11 Office B-100, 01/10- Direct line (32-2) 584 5848 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ESDCforCSDP Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/school/european-security-and-defence-college/ Email: [email protected] Participants should be senior civilian and military officials of EU Member States, candidate states1, relevant EU institutions and agencies or CSDP missions and operations who have demonstrated a clear potential to achieve leadership positions, particularly in the field of CFSP/CSDP. Participants nominated by the Member States may, where appropriate, also come from the business community, academia or NGOs. On behalf of the Member States and national institutes contributing to the CSDP HLC 2020-2021, I would like to invite you to select your participants in accordance with the above criteria. For further details, please refer to the attached Annexes. Dirk DUBOIS Head of the ESDC Attachments: Annex 1 – Administrative arrangements th Annex 2 – Curriculum of the 16 CSDP High Level Course 2020-2021 ‘Jean REY’ 1 Participation of representatives from candidate countries is only possible if a security agreement is in place at the start of the CSDP HLC. 2 Annex 1 Administrative Arrangements 16th CSDP High-Level Course 2020-2021 ‘Jean REY’ PART I. ORGANISATION Structure of the course The course encompasses four residential modules held in Brussels, Madrid, Paris and Athens, each lasting one week (Monday morning to Friday noon), and focusing on different strategic aspects of the CSDP. The minimum time between the residential modules is calculated to allow participants to complete the e-Learning phase. The course makes use of the ESDC e-Learning system ILIAS which runs on the ILIAS e-Learning platform and repository operated by the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). All course participants must prepare for each residential module by going through the relevant e-Learning preparatory phases, using the e-Learning system. Registration in the ILIAS system and completion of the e-Learning course are mandatory. Participants who fail to complete the e-Learning assignment associated with each residential module by the time the residential module ends will not be invited to participate in the next residential module, and their respective authorities will be informed accordingly. The course starts on 10 August 2020, with the preparatory e-Learning phase. The training activity ends on 11 June 2021, with the graduation ceremony organised in Athens, Greece. As in previous years, the 16th CSDP High-Level Course 2020-2021 ‘Jean REY’ will benefit from the support of the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), through the participation of its senior analysts in panels or stand-alone presentations during all residential modules and its co-organisation of the fourth residential module. Module 1 – Brussels The residential part of the 16th CSDP High-Level Course (HLC) 2020-2021 ‘Jean REY’ starts with the module in Brussels, jointly organised by The Royal Higher Institute for Defence and the Egmont Institute, between 28 September and 02 October 2020. The Royal Higher Institute for Defence/RHID (Institut Royal Supérieur de Défense/Koninklijk Hoger Instituut voor Defensie) is the reference body of the Belgian Ministry of Defence in the field of security and defence. Today, the RHID assumes two interlinked roles in support of the Ministry of Defence and of the Nation. First, in its role as a ‘think tank’ for security and defence, it realises the objectives of deepening and disseminating knowledge by organising conferences, colloquia and seminars as well as publishing papers by researchers. The High Studies for Security and Defence, in the form of a course composed of residential seminars and visits, provides training in these fields for high-level staff, from both the defence forces and the civil sector, and promotes reflection, debate and networking between participants. Through national and international partnerships, the RHID has developed an extensive network for the exchange of ideas and experiences. In its role as a ‘smart hub’ for scientific and technological research, it is responsible for managing and facilitating the scientific and technological research programme of the Ministry of Defence, including security and defence studies. Now more than ever, the RHID looks forward to 1 European Security and Defence College EEAS/ESDC B100 01/19 - 1046 Brussels, Belgium 16th CSDP High Level Course 2020-2021 'Jean REY' Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Athens fostering the growth of Belgian scientific and technological research in the defence and security domain, to restore and reinforce the links between government, academia and industry in this perspective, and to promote and facilitate Belgium’s and the Belgian defence force’s participation in national and international research programmes. Contact person: LTC Christophe De HEMPTINNE (CSDP HLC Module 1 Leader) Director, High Studies of Defence Department, Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) Campus Renaissance, Avenue de la Renaissance/Renaissancelaan 30 B-1000 Bruxelles/Brussels, Belgium, Web: www.rhid.be Telephone: +32 2 44 14464; Fax: +32 2 44 39166 Email: [email protected] EGMONT – The Royal Institute for International Relations is an independent think tank based in Brussels. Its interdisciplinary research is conducted in a spirit of total academic freedom. Drawing on the expertise of its own research fellows, as well as that of external specialists, both Belgian and foreign, it provides analysis and policy options that are designed to be as operational as possible. Benefiting from the role of Brussels in the global arena and from the prestigious setting of the Egmont Palace, the institute offers an ideal forum for participants to exchange views with other specialists and with a well-informed public made up of representatives of the political, economic and academic spheres, the media and civil society. Conferences, colloquia and seminars nurture the work of the research fellows. The Institute has also developed specialised training activities. Contact person: Prof Dr Sven BISCOP Director, Europe in the World Programme, Egmont Institute Rue des Petits Carmes/Karmelietenstraat 15 1000 Bruxelles/Brussels, Belgium, Web: www.egmontinstitute.be Mobile: +32 473 31 6823 Email: [email protected] Module 2 – Madrid Module 2 will be organised in Madrid between 18 and 22 January 2021 by the Centro Superior de Estudios de la Defensa Nacional CESEDEN (Spanish National Defence and Advanced Study Centre. CESEDEN is the Spanish National Defence and Advanced Study Centre (CESEDEN). It is an educational establishment responsible for providing high-level defence studies, carrying out research tasks and fostering the defence culture, contributing to the confluence of the various social sectors in the common task of Spanish national defence. High-level defence studies are those relating to peace, security, defence and military policy, aimed at professionals of the armed forces and civil servants of public administrations. The Centre comprises the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE), the Joint Centre for Concept Development (CCDC), the Higher Staff College of the Armed Forces (ESFAS) and the Spanish Military History Commission (CEHISMI). Contact person: Col Antonio BERNAL (CSDP HLC Module 2 Leader) Centro Superior de Estudios de la Defensa Nacional (CESEDEN) 2 European Security and Defence College 16th CSDP High Level Course 2020-2021 'Jean REY' Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Athens Paseo de la Castellana 61, 28071 Madrid, Spain Web: www.defensa.gob.es/ceseden/en