NATO Defense College

🇮🇹 Day 3: The human factor in cognitive warfare 🛡️

🏭 On this final day of the Conference of Commandants, Dr Matthew Canham from the Cognitive Security Institute challenged participants to look at cognitive resilience through a whole-of-society lens involving , , and .

🇫🇮 Applying this perspective to a concrete example, LTC Christian Perheentupa from the Finnish Defence University shared Finland's comprehensive security model, illustrating how a whole-of-society approach can significantly strengthen national resilience.

🎤 Continuing the conversation, an expert panel moderated by NDC Senior Researcher Dr Roderick Parkes – featuring Dr Benjamin James Knox, Dr Niklas Serning, and Mr Michael Ross – unpacked the human dimension of cognitive warfare.

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Mental health is foundational to cognitive resilience. A society’s capacity to navigate uncertainty, and resist manipulation depends on the wellbeing of its people.

🔹 Building paradox tolerance is a critical . The ability to remain curious, hold competing truths, and navigate nuance strengthens our defence in the cognitive domain.

🔹 Cognitive resilience cannot be built by institutions alone. Strengthening cognitive security requires synchronized action across the individual, organizational, and societal levels.

🗨️ Moving from discussion to implementation, Allied and partner participants collaborated in mixed groups to identify practical ways to strengthen cognitive resilience through professional military . They examined the best practices and shared experiences to identify curriculum adaptations, skills and practices needed to better prepare future leaders for the .

🇺🇦 A special highlight: the NDC Commandant LGEN Max A.L.T. Nielsen and Dean Dr Suzanne Nielsen were awarded the Star of Military Brotherhood by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

🙌 Thank you to all of our speakers, panelists and participants for making the such a successful and thought-provoking event.

🇳🇴 In Oslo, NDC Dean Dr Suzanne Nielsen met with Norway’s State Secretary Andreas Flåm.

Dr Nielsen highlighted the longstanding partnership between Norway and NATO and expressed her appreciation for Norway’s continued contribution to the NDC, including the many outstanding Staff Officers and Course Members it has provided over the years. 🤝

📍Final stop for Senior Course 148’s Field Study: Norway 🇳🇴

In Oslo, the delegation engaged with government officials, military leaders and academic experts in high-level discussions on Norway’s defence posture in a strategic era defined by long-term competition with Russia, the growing geopolitical importance of the Arctic, and the need for stronger European defence capabilities.

Among the speakers:

🔸State Secretary of Defence Ms Marte Gerhardsen
🔸Chief of Defence General Eirik Kristoffersen
🔸Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Espen Barth-Eide
& more

Key takeaways:

🇺🇦 Support to Ukraine remains a strategic priority. Norway views Ukraine’s security as directly linked to its own and sees Ukraine as a long-term security partner.

❄️ The High North & Arctic are becoming an increasingly contested strategic space where military, economic & geopolitical interests increasingly overlap.

⚓ Maritime security is central to Norway’s defence posture, from protecting critical infrastructure to safeguarding vital resources.

👥 Security is a whole-of-society effort. Strengthening civil preparedness, resilience and the total defence concept are a national priority.

🤝 Collective defence and cooperation are critical:

📌Within NATO 3.0, Europe must do more but US involvement remains essential
📌Through bilateral defence agreements with UK, Germany and France
📌 Through deeper Nordic integration, reinforcing regional security and NATO’s northern flank

🏭 Defence spending, industrial capacity and innovation are strategic imperatives. Expanding production and strengthening European defence industrial cooperation are among the key lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine.

Thank you to our Norwegian hosts for their warm welcome and insightful exchanges!

📢 Day 2: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦

Marking its milestone 55th edition – and as the NDC celebrates and 60 years in Rome – the Conference of Commandants continues to shape the future of military education, reinforcing NATO’s ability to think critically, decide and act under pressure.

🎙️Dr Tanna M. Krewson, Cognitive Warfare expert and architect behind NATO’s Cognitive Warfare Concept, kicked off with a keynote address on what it is, why it matters, and what comes next.

Gathering 108 participants from 67 defence colleges and institutions around the world (25 Allies and 20 partners), the conference delved into the philosophy, doctrine and operational realities of Russia and China in the cognitive domain.

🇷🇺 To examine Russia’s approach to influencing perceptions and decision-making, NDC Senior Researcher Dr Olesya Vinhas de Souza moderated a panel featuring Dr Tanna M. Krewson, Dr Todor Tagarev and Brigadier General Professor Han Bouwmeester.

🇨🇳 Turning to China’s pursuit of cognitive advantage through education and strategic engagement, Dr Sae Schatz (George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies) spearheaded discussions alongside subject-matter experts Mr Russell Hsiao, Dr Veronica Strina and Dr Dennis Molinaro.

🧠 Key takeaways:

🎯 Cognitive warfare targets human decision-making. Military education must train future leaders not what to think, but how to think.

🎯 Russia and China pursue cognitive advantage through different approaches. Professional military education must adapt how it develops critical thinking, analytical and decision-making skills in the cognitive domain.

🎯 As the cognitive domain becomes an increasingly contested space, resilience requires a whole-of-society approach.

🎓🛡️ Education is the foundation of : understanding the threat, translating analysis into action, and embedding lessons across professional military is key to preparing our future leaders.

🙏 Thank you to all experts for their engagement and guidance in navigating these critical discussions!

🚨 is underway in Rome!

🧠 Under this year's theme, "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦: 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘈𝘛𝘖 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯," the 55th Conference of Commandants kickstarted with a pivotal NATO-focused session. Bringing together 64 participants from 25 Allies, discussions examined how the Alliance is strengthening its ability to and in the cognitive domain 🛡️

🎤 Major General Juan J. Soto Rodriguez (Deputy Chief of Staff Multi-Domain Force Development at NATO - Allied Command Transformation (ACT)) set the stage with a forward-looking keynote address, followed by expert presentations and a panel discussion with Mr Jay Janzen (Director J10 StratCom at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)) and Dr Priscilla Nohle (Cognitive Warfare Researcher at HQ SACT).

💡The focus?

📌 Advancing the Cognitive Warfare Concept to protect military decision-making from manipulation, strengthen public trust, and enhance NATO’s ability to operate effectively in the constantly evolving .

📌 Drawing lessons from Ukraine to strengthen NATO’s resilience through shared operational and strategic experiences.

📌 Integrating cognitive into military education to cultivate leaders capable of critical thinking and ethical in an era of cognitive confrontation.

Stay tuned for more updates from the in Rome! 🇮🇹

🇨🇳 China is racing to become a global 👨‍🎓 education superpower, fuelling its tech dominance and reshaping great-power competition. However, structural weaknesses and international distrust are real obstacles.

NATO's answer?
Cultivate critical thinking before losing the intellectual edge: the classroom may be the new battlefield.

🔗 https://www.ndc.nato.int/mind-the-minds-chinas-education-strategy-and-its-implications-for-nato/

⚔️ Being ready, faster: Estonia's approach to national defence & collective security 🇪🇪

🗺️As part of its Field Study, Senior Course 148 visited Foundation CR14 in Tallinn where the delegation gained comprehensive insights into Estonia’s security priorities, defence posture and its contribution to NATO

After a briefing by Major General Viktor Kalnitski, Deputy Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, participants explored how Estonia is adapting to a rapidly evolving security environment shaped by Russia’s full-scale war against and broader geopolitical competition. The delegation heard from representatives of:

📌 The Ministry of Defence

📌 The Defence League

📌 The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE)

📌 The Estonian Defence Industry Association

📌 Members of the Parliamentary Defence Committee

Key takeaways:

⚔️ Russia remains Estonia’s primary and enduring existential threat, driving long-term planning, sustained readiness and credible .

🛡️ A whole-of-society defence model encompassing military readiness, civilian engagement and resilience, and a robust industrial base is crucial to national defence.

📈 Estonia’s significant increase in defence spending is a direct reflection of the threat environment, driving major investments in capability development and innovation.

🏭 A strong and innovative defence industry is a priority and a strategic asset, supporting the nation’s national defence objectives and enabling a continued support to Ukraine.

🤝 From Nordic-Baltic cooperation to the transatlantic link, strong partnerships remain essential. Collective defence and are the cornerstone of Estonia’s national security.

💻 Cyber defence is a key national strength, with Estonia playing a leading role in advancing NATO’s cyber capabilities and training.
Senior Course 148 also had the opportunity to visit defence industry facilities, gaining first-hand insights into how innovation and industrial capacity contribute to Estonia’s long-term security and defence objectives.

Thank you to CR14 and to all speakers for their warm welcome and valuable exchanges.

🛡️ The NDC welcomed a delegation of 45 students and faculty from the Joint Command and General Staff Course (JCGSC) and the Civil Servants' Course from the Baltic Defence College, led by JCGSC Course Director, Colonel Ivo Murmanis.

📌 The visit underscored the NDC’s mission: preparing future NATO leaders through strategic-level education on transatlantic security issues, contributing to a more cohesive and effective Alliance.

🗨️ Among the programme's highlights was a briefing and discussion on the security challenges facing the Alliance's Eastern flank, delivered by Senior Researcher Dr Olesya Vinhas de Souza from the NDC Research Division.

🙌 Thank you to the Baltic Defence College delegation for the fruitful visit. We look forward to continued engagement!

🇯🇵 Yesterday, the NDC welcomed a delegation from the Japanese Joint Staff College, led by its Commandant, Vice Admiral Takada Tetsuya. The College was also pleased to welcome back Japan's Defence Attaché to 🇮🇹, Colonel Oyama Masahiro.

🎯 After a gift exchange, Brigadier General Ferenc Molnár, Director of the NDC Academic Operations Division, delivered a briefing on the College’s core mission: preparing NATO's future leaders and strengthening Alliance effectiveness through strategic-level , , and .

💡 A key highlight of the visit was a session on "Russia-China defence innovation and cooperation," delivered by Senior Researcher Dr Olesya Vinhas de Souza from the NDC Research Division.

🤝 Thank you to Vice Admiral Takada and the entire delegation for the visit & engaging discussions.

🇱🇹 As part of Senior Course 148’s visit to Vilnius, NDC Dean Dr Suzanne Nielsen met with Lithuanian Chief of Defence General Raimundas Vaikšnoras.

Their discussion highlighted Lithuania’s valued and enduring contribution to the NDC, while addressing the current security environment and common challenges confronting both Lithuania and the Alliance. 🤝