Defence

Feature

Student diversity a top-class affair

Corporal Cameron Jamieson looks at how the Defence and Strategic Studies Course has developed cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.

The ADF's ability to rapidly respond to troubles within the Asia-Pacific region over the last decade has added to the high esteem in which the nation's defence forces are held.

The recent example of the ADF's response to the devastating Asian tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 has again shown the professionalism and devotion to duty that is central to the ethos of Australia's military personnel.

What is less evident to the people of Australia is the work of the Defence staff in the strategic planning and operations roles that make it possible for Defence to cooperate with its regional partners.

Nevertheless, without these international relationships, the path to success would be very much more difficult, resulting in delays, misunderstandings and the duplication of effort that could cost time, money and even lives.

Many of these international relationships, which are so critical to the ADF's ability to work within the region, are made at a quiet college campus located in suburban Canberra, by course members of the Defence and Strategic Studies (DSS) course.

The DSS course is conducted at the Australian Defence College's Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS), located in Weston Creek, ACT.

The same campus is home to the Australian Command and Staff College (ACSC) Course, however, the two courses are quite different.

While ACSC provides an introduction to the strategic landscape, it is essentially an operationally focused course within a military framework.

The DSS course, on the other hand, focuses on the many national and international security issues that make up the strategic context.

Although course members are very experienced Defence officers when they begin the DSS course, they are introduced to a range of other issues, such as resources, defence economics, weapons of mass destruction, over-population and access to water - issues that in a strategic sense impact on national security.

Forty eight students is the optimum panel for the course, of which half are overseas students.

This allows the students to create their own extensive network of Australian and overseas contacts who are likely to be posted to similar senior appointments within their own defence forces.

Outgoing Principal of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies Paul Varsanyi has spent five years at CDSS, four of those as its head.

He says he was very pleased with the 2004 graduates because of their readiness to tackle the course content and their ability to work and network with their fellow students.

"This is important, because we had 20 different overseas countries represented on the course, and a part of the socialisation we do here is to ensure the graduates stay networked for life," he says.

"They all need to leave the college at the end of the year as firm friends and stay professionally networked, because at some time in the future, their countries will be relying on these associations.

"For many of the overseas course members, this course is the first time they meet equivalent officers from some of the neighbouring countries around the region - it's often the first time a Vietnamese Colonel would have met a Chinese Colonel, or a Chinese Colonel has met a Singaporean Colonel.

"So this network they form among themselves is a useful regional activity." CDSS has become recognised as a truly Asia-Pacific national defence university.

Each of the participating overseas defence forces identifies officers whom they plan to employ in strategic planning and operations capacities.

Overseas course members' English language skills are enhanced where necessary and their awareness of the Australian culture is sharpened prior to their attendance on the course.

The course is run from January to December each year, attended mostly by Colonel-equivalent ranks, although Lieu-tenant Colonel and Brigadier-equivalents have also attended.

As a post-graduate educational institution, CDSS is accredited to award a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies for those who complete the basic course, while a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from Deakin University is also available to those who complete the required extra academic work.

Global reach: The 2004 CDSS students (pictured at the Australian Defence College in Canberra) finally graduate after a challenging and interesting year. Photo by Steve Dent, Public Affairs Support.

Brigadier Paul Symon, a graduate of the 2004 course and now Director-General Pacific Branch, International Policy Division, says the year-long course was an opportunity to step back and reflect on regional defence policy and security.

"A lot of the year was spent looking at countries and regions and looking at where these countries are now and where they are going in the future.

"So much of our time was spent with country experts talking with us.

"This allowed us to reflect on what sort of security environment we might encounter in 10, 15 or 20 years from now."

An added bonus for Brigadier Symon was the diversity of views present in the course's international student environment, particularly in syndicated work.

"We realised we come from a different framework," he says.

"Often when we sat down to discuss things, we would come at an issue from completely different points of view.

"But through lengthy dialogue and discussion, we found that nine times out of 10 there was a way forward to an area of agreement, it just took a while to get to that point."

Masters graduate Group-Captain Ziaulhaque Shamsi, of the Pakistan Air Force, believes the course has been very useful for his future career. "The school has provided me with a range of strategic studies, from the historical aspects to the current and future issues of the region.

"It has helped me broaden my analytical skills and opened a lot of avenues to explore further, because back in south Asia we don't study the Asia-Pacific region too much," he says.

"I tried to project Pakistan's perspective on various international relations aspects and the strategic issues we are confronted with, because Pakistan is located in a strategic location.

"I have made a lot of friends and received much goodwill - it has been a very good year for me."

Captain Mior Rosdi, of the Royal Malaysian Navy, found the course to be challenging, but agreed that the ability to create an international network of contacts is a valuable tool for the future.

"You never know when you will bump into each other," he reflects. "We are in a very globalised world, and it will help me greatly in my job."

For Mr Paul Varsanyi, his five-year tenure at the centre has been a highlight of his Defence career.

"This is a very young organisation, but despite its youth, it's been through a lot," he says. "In my time, the curriculum has undergone major redesign twice, in order for it to keep pace with the changing international landscape.

"For me, my time at the helm has been about protecting the excellent features of the Centre, while nevertheless adjusting it to comprehend the new international security environment. We have also, most recently, taken on board the Defence leadership's wish that there be a higher component of Defence studies within our curriculum."

The incoming Principal, Myra Rowling, also considers the regional engagement aspect of the Centre's activities to be a most important outcome for Australian and the region.

"I will be looking to expand the range of countries with which CDSS has formalised those relationships through memoranda of understanding. There is now a heightened consciousness of valuable outcomes we can achieve together," she says.

For more information
www.defence.gov.au/adc/cdss_home.htm

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