Tallinn, Estonia (Jan. 15, 2015) – In the wake of this month’s terrorist attacks in Paris, the development of a new Counterinsurgency (COIN) Curriculum is underway through a joint effort between The Partnership for Peace Consortium’s (PfPC) Conflict Studies Working Group and the Baltic Defence College. Upon completion, the curriculum will be available to NATO and coalition partners.

A kickoff event in Tallinn from 12-15 January saw experts from the Baltic Defence College, the French Ministry of Defense (MOD), the Hungarian MoD, the Department of Military History at the US Army Command and General Staff College, the US Army Center of Military History, and the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. The group examined the nature of COIN – past and present - and identified the essential content that will constitute a COIN Curriculum.

The Dean of the Baltic Defence College, Dr. Augustine Meaher IV, spoke of his institute’s cooperation with the PfPC, noting that “as the world confronts violent extremism groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda, whose tactics and organization are largely counterinsurgent, the development of a COIN Curriculum takes on special significance. It is through such education that future leaders will be prepared to make decisions that contribute to our collective security.”

COIN Curriculum development is the latest in a series of PfPC defence education curricula development activities. To date the PfPC has developed reference curricula in areas such as Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Development. A number of partner nations are incorporating the PfPC-developed curricula into their defence education institutions. For instance, the PfPC and NATO through their jointly managed Defence Education Enhancement Program (DEEP) are collaborating with countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, who are at various stages of NCO curriculum adoption.

With a blueprint in hand, the PfPC’s Conflict Studies Working Group will convene a series of curriculum authoring sessions which are expected to culminate in the completion of the COIN Curriculum by the end of 2016. Upon completion, the curriculum will be available to defence education institutions interested in the adoption of COIN studies into their educational programs.