Several questions thus challenge the defence educator; what to teach, how to teach it and whom to teach (and when)?  The traditional role of military and defence academies has served armed forces well but such is the complexity with which officers at all levels must now contend that new thinking is required if these challenges are to be met in a cost-effective and effective manner. 

With this in mind, the Netherlands Defence Academy met with the UK Defence Academy to address dynamic defence education. The conference took place on the 5th September at the Defence Leadership and Management Centre in Beckett House. The Netherlands provided a team of officers and academics led by Maj-Gen Siem van Groningen, Commandant of Netherlands Defence Academy, while the Director General led the UK team with representatives from all corners of the Defence Academy. The keynote speech was made by Dr Harlan Ullman, a US political advisor and retired United States Naval Commander, which offered useful insights from the US.

The conference tested the hypothesis that “The place of education is developing, maintaining and enhancing operational capability”. An intellectually evocative day ensued, which tested the hypothesis through three specific issues: proving relevance and value for money, the place of technology, and educating the future leader. A paper will be published on the findings and recommendations of the conference.