During the Academic year 2020 – 2021, the Cyprus Security and Defence Academy organised three educational activities and one high-level conference. A total of 225 officials were trained, of which 60 were from Cyprus, and 165 were from abroad, as shown below:
Project Management in Support of CSDP Mission and Operations Course
International seminar organised in cooperation with the State Bureau for Training, Further Education and Personnel of the North Rhine-Westphalian Police and the support of the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration and PM2 alliance. It took place from 17 to 21 May 2021 in Larnaca. It aimed to train civil, military and police personnel using the Management Methodology (PM2) in support of European Common Security and Defence Policy Missions and Operations (CSDP). Sixteen people from 7 Member States and 3 Missions of the European Union participated in this training.
The Role of the EU Cyber Ecosystem Course in the Global Cyber Security Stability Course
The course was inaugurated by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, the Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation and Digital Policy, the Commissioner for Communications, and the Head of the European Security and Defence College.
The training course was welcomed in ‘residential’ and ‘virtual’ formats, with 65 participants from 14 States in the Middle East and North Africa regions and the EU. The course was hosted on the premises of the ‘ZENON’ Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaca.
Climate Change and Security Course
The event took place in the context of the Cyprus Government Initiative for Coordinating Climate Change Action in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME), aimed at addressing and alleviating the impact of climate change and advancing mitigation actions following the Paris Agreement.
The conference was included in the actions of the Republic of Cyprus and the initiative of the President of the Republic of Cyprus on Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Future of European Security and Defence Conference
European conference, which took place from 25-26 November 2021, with the support of the European Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the European Security and Defence College and the European Citizens Association. It was placed under the auspices of the Honorable President of the Parliament, Ms Annita Dimitriou. The conference was one of the actions of the Republic of Cyprus for the Future of the European Union. It was attended by 80 honoured guests from the entire spectrum of Cypriot Society and abroad in person and 400 people online from almost all the EU member states.
Participation at the international Military Academic Forum 2021 – iMAF 2021
Director of the Academy represented the Ministry of Defence at the International Military Academic Forum 2021, held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 20 - 23 September 2021. iMAF is an academic military forum in which only European countries participate and USA and Canada as observers. Its purpose is to gather academic military academies for an annual discussion and create working groups on matters concerning the harmonisation of military education and training of new officers, the development of a single European military culture and the increase of the interoperability of the armed forces.
Critical Strategic Thinking Course
On the 28th to 31st of March 2022, the Critical Strategic Thinking seminar took place online in collaboration with the University of Plymouth and on the 04th to the 08th of July 2022, with a physical presence in Cyprus. The course lasted five days, has been taught in the British armed forces for the last 15 years and is considered particularly important for officers of the rank of Captain and Major before their study at the respective war schools of the United Kingdom. It was successfully attended by 25 National Guard Officers, two officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one official of the Ministry of Defence and two postgraduate students of the University of Cyprus. The program's objective was to develop the ability to question and critically examine the trainees’ cases and acquire the flexibility of thought and attitude required, taking advantage of modern strategic studies.
Counter-Intelligence Seminars
One-day seminar in collaboration with the Cyprus Intelligence Service took place on the 5th and 12th of April 2022. The workshop aimed to train the personnel who will serve abroad in the next three years and those who serve in positions that come into contact with personnel of embassies and companies of foreign countries. The training was about counterintelligence methods and measures and was attended by 24 officers from the Ministry of Defence and the National Guard.
The Role of the EU Cyber Ecosystem Course in the Global Cyber Security Stability Course
The seminar presents the main pillars of the EU cyber ecosystem and how these pillars can enhance the stability of global security by improving cyber resilience, building trust and strengthening the cooperation between international actors.
Gender Mainstreaming Seminar - 54th Military Erasmus IG Meeting
The International Seminar took place in Larnaca from the 03rd to the 05th of May 03 2022. The seminar aimed to train civil, military, diplomatic and police personnel in gender integration within the framework of the European initiative for the exchange of young military personnel (Military ERASMUS). 55 people from 15 member states of the European Union participated in this training. The seminar was followed by the 54th meeting of the Military Erasmus Implementation Group, with 65 participants from European Union Military Academies.
Project Management in Support of CSDP Mission and Operations Course
International seminar in collaboration with the State Bureau for Training, Further Education and Personnel of the North Rhine-Westphalian Police and the support of the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration, which took place from 09 to 13 May 2022 for second congregative year in Larnaca. It aimed to train civil, military and police personnel using the Management Methodology (PM2) in support of European Common Security and Defence Policy Missions and Operations (CSDP). Sixteen people from 9 Member States of the European Union participated in this training.
CSDP Orientation Course Focus on MENA Region
This edition of the orientation course focused on the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and dealt with issues facing this region. The course was co-organised by the Cyprus Security and Dethe fence Academy and the Austrian National Defence Academy with and support of the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration. It took place from the 23rd to the 27th of May 2022 in Larnaca. It aimed to train civilian, military, diplomatic and police personnel to understand the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union, its complex structure and decision-making process, crisis management procedures and crisis response mechanism and its comprehensive approach to external conflicts and crises. Thirty-two people from 11 EU Member States participated in the training.
Participation in the Higher Education Training of Military Officers Symposium
From 08 to 10 June 2022, a Cyprus Security and Defence Academy delegation participated in the symposium on higher military education held in Paris. The seminar was born in the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU and was organised by the French War School (Ecole de Guerre) at its premises in Paris. The successful response to the constantly emerging challenges and the creation of European Defence requires the creation of a common European strategic culture. In this context, higher military education is included as an essential factor, which will strengthen the creation of the European strategic culture with the association and co-education of senior officers of the countries of the MS. During the symposium, there was an exchange of views between the representatives of the War Schools or affiliated institutions of the Armed Forces to give the trigger for further reflection regarding the higher military education.
Participation at the international Military Academic Forum 2022 – iMAF 2022
The Academy participated in the International Academic Military Forum 2022 in Sibiu in, Romania, from 13-16 June 2022, with its Deputy Director. iMAF, as a military academic forum, is a platform for discussion and work on military education.
On the sidelines of the forum, the Deputy Director chaired the Strategic Communication Working Group, in which the creation of a Strategic Communication Plan for the Military Erasmus Implementation Group was discussed, and the pillars on which the said group will work were designed.
Cadet Leadership Development Training Course
As part of the implementation of the military Erasmus, the Security and Defence Academy of the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the Military Academy of Austria and with the assistance of the National Guard, successfully organised for the 6th year the Leadership Skills Development program for students and young officers of Military Academies.
Thirty-three students and 12 instructors from 12 Military Academies from 10 Member States of the European Union (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal) and Norway participated in the training.
The Republic of Cyprus, although small in size and does not have a military academy, nevertheless contributes in practice to European education for the development of a common European culture of Security and Defence and takes the lead in several activities of the European College of Security and Defence under which the initiative is included of the military Erasmus.
A video is provided in the link below for the above activity.
