For the very first time, NATO's community gathered on 29 and 30 October 2019 at the new NCI Academy to attend the fourth Education and Training (E&T) Conference.
More than 185 people from 26 countries attended the conference, which was held at the Academy's new facilities in Oeiras, Portugal.
The E&T Conference brings together participants from various NATO bodies and Nations with training providers in communications and information systems (CIS), C4ISR* and cyber security.
The conference addresses training needs and trends, including collective training support tools. It is also a great networking event for NATO, its Nations and national training users and providers.
Education and training plays a fundamental role in NATO´s ability to fulfil its mission of deterrence and collective defence.
MGEN Göksel Sevindik, Chief of Staff of the NCI Agency, welcomed participants to the conference.
"Our new NCI Academy, right here in Oeiras, will be a lighthouse for NATO. Students trained at our new Academy will go on to protect and defend NATO and national IT and communications systems for the air, land, maritime and cyber domains", said the Chief of Staff.
The conference began with plenary briefings that brought together the NCI Academy´s customers and sponsors. Then, the conference continued with four different sessions on individual training, collective training tools, cyber training and the Agency´s internal training.
"The large number of attendees at the 4th E&T Conference, from 26 NATO Nations, is an indicator that NATO and Nations consider the continued provision of training, evolving into continuous learning, of paramount importance. We are proud that the NCI Academy can play this crucial role in ensuring the provision of a high-tech NATO workforce fit for the challenges of the 21st century",
said Jean-Paul Massart, the NCI Agency´s
Education & Training Service Line Chief, Acting NCI Academy Business Manager and Conference Chairman.
More people attended this conference than the previous ones, demonstrating an increasing interest in the subject.
"From the Dean perspective, I can see that there is an increasing coherence regarding the direction NATO E&T is taking towards using technology as a learning enabler; you can feel a palpable appetite to make as much use as possible of the NCI Agency Academy facility in Oeiras. Additionally our customers are beginning to appreciate the changes that have been applied to eligibility which will impact the whole community", said Dr Garry Hargreaves, Acting Dean of the NCI Academy.
The conference was a unique opportunity for information exchange and improved collaboration with NATO and national training providers in the C4ISR and the cyber world.
"The 4th E&T Conference was an excellent networking and cooperation opportunity. It fostered an open exchange of views, enhanced the discussion of new ideas and brought the NATO C4ISR and Cyber E&T community together at the flagship new NCI Agency Academy, located in Oeiras, Portugal," said NCI Academy Deputy Director Colonel Paulo Nunes.
For more information on our courses, services and training contracts contact the NCI Academy Business Team at +32 2 360 5800 (Mons, BEL) or training@ncia.nato.int.
*Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance