About
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AUSTRALIAN
DEFENCE COLLEGE
CENTRE
FOR DEFENCE AND STRATEGIC STUDIES
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Providing
higher professional education in defence, national and international
security for senior military and civilian leaders, decision-makers
and policy professionals from Australia and around the world.
INTRODUCTION
The Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS) hosts
the Defence and Strategic Studies course - the senior course
in Australia for senior military officers and other Government
officials engaged in national security issues.
A key part of the Australian Defence College, the CDSS is
responsible for providing Australian and overseas participants
with the knowledge and skills required to operate at the strategic
level in a complex and modern security environment.
Course Outcomes: To enhance the ability
of course members to:
- provide timely and effective advice to Government,
- apply military power to achieve strategic objectives,
and
- develop and sustain military capability to meet national
objectives.
Course Participants: Senior military and
civilian officers with the potential for further advancement
and who are in or likely to move into strategic command, planning
and decision making roles.
The Centre also hosts course members from over 20 other nations
in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, North America and the
Middle East, particularly those that share Australia’s
interests. They add an important dimension to the consideration
of the complex international issues that face decision-makers
in the strategic, defence and security spheres.
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CDF ACM Angus Houston with the Principal
of CDSS, Dr Alan Ryan
Dr
Ryan's BIO
THE
COURSE
An Adult Learning Environment: CDSS provides
an adult learning environment that emphasises both self-directed
learning and collective learning experiences. Syndicate activities
encourage the sharing of views and experiences and the application
of newly acquired skills and knowledge to complex scenarios
requiring a strategic, whole-of-government or multi-national
approach.
A Course Designed for Practitoners: The
course is designed to benefit practitioners by equipping them
with practical skills to work with confidence in the uncertainty
that characterises our rapidly evolving strategic environment.
The curriculum develops the ability to think
analytically, taking account of diverse options, viewpoints
and potential outcomes. The multinational composition of the
course stretches all participants as they are continually
forced to consider novel perspectives.
Modularised Course: The course is designed in five modules to enable additional Defence and other agency personnel to attend for specific modules
A Global Faculty: Most of the over
400 presenters to CDSS each year are Australian
or world leaders in their field of expertise and have current,
direct, professional experience with the matters being studied.
Course members are exposed to overseas-based experts via world-class
virtual faculty facilities.
A Powerful Alumni: Dedicated Alumni support
for individuals maintains contact between course members,
particularly between Australian and overseas course members.
It is expected that these inter-agency and international connections
will broaden and strengthen as CDSS alumni take up senior
positions in their respective organisations.
Postgraduate Academic Awards: Students of
CDSS can achieve, through assessed course participation, research
and assignments; a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies, through
Deakin University. Alternatively, students can choose to study
for a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies, which CDSS is
accredited to award.
Course Details: The Centre runs one course
per year, from January to December. Each course is attended
by some 50 course members both military and civilian officers,
but inter-agency attendees for specific blocks of study are
welcome. The course is conducted at the post-graduate level
and most of the participants are at the levels of Military
06-07 (Colonel – Brigadier equivalent) or Australian
Public Service Executive Level 2.
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COURSE
BREAKDOWN
The course is organised
into five thematic blocks as shown below:
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EXERCISES
& STUDY TOURS
Practitioner-focused exercises and study tours
are an intergral part of the curriculum. These activities
provide real 'on the ground' opportunities to explore key
security issues raised in the course and for course members
to demonstrate enhanced planning and decision-making skills.
Campaign Planning Exercise:
In August, the Higher Command and Campaign Planning Block
concludes with a practical campaign planning
exercise. The exercise enables
course members to practice and demonstrate their ability to
employ military power in a strategic / operational level context.
The exercise is supported by numerous mentors drawn from
current and former senior Defence Secretaries, Service Chiefs,
Ambassadors and senior Public Servants from relevant security
agencies.
Course member deliberations on a campaign
planning issue.
Capability Development Exercise: In October,
the Capability and Force Development Block
concludes with a practical force capability
development exercise. The exercise
focus is on the development of cabinet submissions and force
development proposals to Government to support the introduction
of necessary equipment and force capabilities into the ADF.
The exercise enables course members to practice and demonstrate
their ability to develop and sustain military capability.
The exercise is supported by numerous mentors including incumbent
and former senior officials from the capability development
and sustainment areas of Defence and other security-related
Departments.
Course member briefing Mr Neumann, First
Assistant Secretary Capability Investment and Resources
Final Strategic Exercise: In
November, the course completes a 10 working day exercise designed
to synthesise all aspects of the course and demonstrate that
course members can provide policy advice to Government, apply
military power and provide options to sustain and develop
military capability.
The exercise is supported by numerous senior mentors drawn
from incumbent and former Defence officials, Service Chiefs,
Ambassadors and senior Public Servants from relevant security
agencies.
Principal Overseas Study Tour:
This tour to China, Korea and Japan in support of Block 2
objectives, studies the major geopolitical, security, economic
and social issues in the Asia-Pacific region.
Small Group Tours: The course splits into
a number of groups to visit various locations in the Asia-Pacific
in support of course member research on specific strategic
issues.
Australian Study Tour:
This tour supports the themes contained in Blocks
3, 4 and 5. Course members visit targeted business and government
organisations to 'case study' contemporary management issues.
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New Zealand Tour: This tour
compares the development of NZ Defence policy with that of
Australia and other nations.
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STUDY
AWARDS
Master of Arts in Strategic Studies (conferred
by Deakin University):
- CDSS course work,
- externally assessed Strategic Assessment Paper (10 000
words), and
- externally assessed Strategic Policy Paper (10 000 words).
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies:
- CDSS course work,
- internally assessed Strategic Assessment Paper (5000 words),
and
- internally assessed Security Policy Paper (5000 words).
Graduate Certificate in Strategic Studies:
- The certificate may be awarded where a course member
has completed a substantial part of the course, and has
satisfactorily completed two assignments.
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CONTACTS
For further CDSS information please contact:
Dr Alan Ryan
Principal, Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies
Australian Defence College
Department of Defence
Weston Creek ACT 2600
Phone: +61 (0)2 6266 0601
e-mail: alan.ryan@defence.gov.au
Ms Jenny Lewis
Manager Overseas Student Liaison Office
Australian Defence College
Department of Defence
Weston Creek ACT 2600
Phone: + 61 2 6266 0521
e-mail: jenniferlewis@defence.adc.edu.au
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