11th Class starts Advanced Security and Defence Studies

Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, attended the Advanced Security and Defence Studies commencement ceremony for the 11th generation that will be attending this course, in the lecture hall at the "Field Marshal Radomir Putnik" National Defence School. He expressed hope that the students would acquire knowledge that would contribute to Serbia becoming even stronger and being an exporter of stability in our region.



At the very beginning, the Minister expressed satisfaction that last summer, the National Defence School was named after our great military leader Radomir Putnik. Pointing out the great interest in the Advanced Studies, which are the highest level of training in defence, he thanked the Rector of the Defence University, Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović.
 
- Thank you for understanding that such great interest means great recognition. It means that people have recognized the immense prestige that this school enjoys, which now exceeds the borders of Serbia. This program is important, not only because it provides you with a certificate at the end of your training, but because it teaches you how to manage geopolitics, military challenges, but also those in the civilian sector, and teaches you how to prevent a crisis, and when it happens, how to respond to it in the best possible way. And that is the essence of not only the Advanced Security and Defence Studies, but of the Defence University itself, which provides education to young people, from reserve personnel, to Military Academy cadets, to students attending various courses that the National Defence School offers. It is important to acquire not last year’s but new knowledge every year, to constantly keep up with the times, technological, sociological and all other challenges - said Minister Stefanović.
 
Speaking about the unpredictability of the world, the Minister gave two examples, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Brexit.



– The world is changing rapidly and there is nothing fixed, you cannot be sure that the situation will be the same for the next twenty years, while you are active duty officers, until you retire. No, it changes every week in all aspects, both military and non-military. In this study program, you should realize that, ask as many questions as possible and take the opportunity to talk about everything - said Minister Stefanović.

According to him, the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces pay great attention to training.
 
- After all, everything we have managed to achieve over the last few years, thanks to which we are ranked 61st on the "Global Firepower" list, is not only on account of the new weapons we have been buying, but also on account of the knowledge implemented in the institutions of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces - said the Minister.

He expressed hope that the students of Advanced Studies would acquire knowledge that would contribute to making Serbia stronger.

- So that Serbia can continue doing exactly what our President Vučić has said, building a stable environment and being an exporter of stability in our region. Only in such an environment can Serbia continue to develop and build a better life for its citizens, and that is what we all want for ourselves and our families and what we also want for everyone else - said Minister Stefanović.



The new students were also welcomed by the Head of the Advanced Security and Defence Studies, Colonel Branko Mišić. According to him, what distinguishes the 11th Class, which consists of 20 students, is the fact that it is the most numerous class since 2012. This indicates how important this training program is, and testifies to the reputation and competency of the Defence University’s National Defence School.
 
The 11th Class consists of officers of the Ministry of Defence, members of the Ministry of the Interior and other ministries, representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and government agencies, and members of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska.