Major General Andrew Roe, Chief Executive and Commandant of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom (DefAc), discussed ideas and views on the position and future of Professional Military Education (PME) with his counterparts from leading international military institutions during the second South Asian Council of Commandants.
The conference, from 13-16 February, was hosted by the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) of Sri Lanka. Commandants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and the UK held a series of fascinating and thought-provoking sessions on PME, with guest speakers from the DefAc.
The Council of Commandants aims to strengthen the relationships between the participating countries by using PME as an effective means to bring nations together, while promoting an open exchange of views and building relationships between international military institutions.
For the Defence Academy, the conference supports the UK’s Indo-Pacific Tilt, set out in the Integrated Review, which underlines the strategic importance of this region to UK interests.
Opening the conference, Mr Lalith Weeratunga gave an insightful speech on the importance of PME, noting that it must be versatile, threat-driven, demanding, and relevant. This was followed by topics including:
- Delivering education in the 21st Century, by Maj Gen Roe. The Commandant spoke about remaining flexible to the requirements of the student body and seeking to balance the needs of cross-generational audiences
- Future education and future classrooms, by Maj Gen Faizur Rahman, Commandant of the DSCSC of Bangladesh. He spoke on how virtual reality, augmented reality and holographics can enhance student-centred learning
- Digitisation, by Mike Wadley, Assistant Head of Research and Education Operations at the DefAc. The session highlighted the advantages and risks of digitisation, noting the significant driver of COVID-19 to digitisation. Mike also commented on the swinging pendulum of change and greater alignment to a blended learning method
Day two of the conference featured expert insights on PME, including:
- Maj Gen Amer Nawaz, Commandant of the Pakistan Command and Staff College, gave a detailed and considered analysis of the differences in how Gen X, Y and Z, learn, act and think. He also spoke on the needs of Gen Z, whose number is increasing within defence organisations
- Maj Gen Lasantha Rodrigo, Commandant of the Sri Lanka DSCSC, delivered a deep analysis on the centrality of resilience to defence PME, noting how it is essential to have resilience taught at all levels.
- Professor Greg Kennedy, of King’s College London, gave a fascinating overview of the importance of studying and understanding economic warfare
- Dr Chris Taylor of DefAc’s Centre for Defence Education, Research and Analysis (CDERA) provided an overview of the development and rollout of the Defence Academy Research Engine (DARE). Dr Taylor noted the enhancement this tool has already brought to defence, along with future opportunities for international collaboration
- Professor David Whetham, of King’s College London, delivered a thought-provoking session on military ethics and the need for timely, considered and complete ethics training and education in defence
Maj Gen Roe gave the final address at the conference, speaking on the need for diversity in all its forms to harness the best skills and intellects within organisations. He also noted the need to adapt at pace to meet the needs of the student body and the requirements of defence.
Maj Gen Roe will attend the first South East Asian Council of Commandants between 6-9 March, in Brunei. Another fantastic opportunity for the development of strong relationships in the region, the conference will bring together commandants from the defence academies of 10 nations, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.