Kaarle
Wikström
Captain
(N), Director of National Defence Courses
National
Defence University
Finland
Defence courses were established 63 years ago to improve Finnish society's crisis readiness, awareness of and will for national defence. The long, total war that shook the entire society from 1939 to 1945 required a total defence for the nation to survive. After the war, society adapted to a new situation and circumstances, still keeping in mind the experiences of difficult world war II years. It was on this basis that the planning for Defence Courses began in the late 1950s.
Looking at today's courses, it's astonishing how the fundamentals and objectives set for the planning and implementation of the national and regional defence courses, remain relevant over sixty years later. The current security situation in Europe and the ongoing shift in the international order make these courses more relevant than ever.
The following focuses on the three-and-a-half-week-long National Defence Course. The week-long regional courses are implemented following the same principles. For our small team of five, whom organises the national courses, the most important consideration are the 50 participants invited from various sectors of society and the high-level experts who speak to the participants with the latest information. While organising four courses a year, the aim is to achieve the following set for the courses.
Since the birth of the courses, the entire society in Finland has been involved in crisis preparedness. Over the decades, the concept of total defence has evolved into comprehensive security, providing a framework for the course content. A comprehensive view of Finnish foreign, security, and defence policy, both nationally and within the European Union, as well as as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a key topic of our syllabus. The goal is to familiarize participants with the tasks of comprehensive security in various fields in our society, their implementation possibilities, as well as their interrelationships and interconnectedness in society’s normal, emergency, and crises situations. However, the course has the most lasting impact by promoting the interaction among participants who come from a various sector of society. The teaching, conducted in a versatile and pedagogically diverse manner, addresses security policy and defence, as well as border and internal security, macro- and microeconomics, security of supply, social and healthcare, educational and cultural matters, cyber, information, and hybrid influence, as well as climate change and its economic and security implications, without forgetting the importance of psychological resilience. This provides participants with a comprehensive outlook of the importance of security, stability, and prosperity of a nation. The days are long, starting at 8 am in the morning and generally ending at 8 pm in the evening. Presentations, panel discussions, excursions, table top exercise, conducted as group work during first three weeks, and a three-day visit to a military base are included in the syllabus. The visit exemplifies the significance of defence and ensures the course spirit and fellowship.
What makes the course particularly special, however, is its participants. Based on a Government Decree, a broad-based Advisory Committee for National Defence Education selects the participants based on proposals from society. We aim for a diverse participant group. Forty percent of the participants are women and sixty percent are men. Participants who receive personal invitations to the course represent various sectors such as economy, infrastructure, and services, different branches of government, media, third sector, church congregation, as well as science, universities, and cultural figures who are influential in their respective fields. All members of parliament are offered the opportunity to attend the course. Together with the smallest group, representatives of the armed forces, an exceptionally wide-ranging group of expertise is gathered together. The course selects its own trustees, who are responsible for the esprit de-corps and re-unions. Participants from various sectors of society provide a network that can keep each other up to date on events in Finland and around the world.
After the intensive course, participants are also offered the opportunity to become a member of the Defence Course Association. Alumni activities focus on deepening knowledge of security policy and participating in societal discussions. The association organises seminars and discussion events and publishes a high-quality Defence magazine four times a year. Course participants are invited to advanced and refresher courses five and again ten years later, which last from one to two days. This offers participants the opportunity to update their knowledge on comprehensive security, security policy, and defence matters.
What motivates individuals in leading positions and in key expert roles in Finnish society to clear their calendars for almost four weeks to voluntarily participate in National Defence Course? In Finland, defence is perceived as a concern for the entire society. Through compulsory military service for men and voluntary military service for women, most citizens, families, and communities have a connection to concrete national defence. When personal invitation arrives, individuals almost invariably respond affirmatively. Courses are prestigious in Finnish society. Based on feedback, the course is perceived to offer comprehensive and up-to-date content in an interestingly organized manner. The extensive network provided by the courses is also considered valuable. Yet, only through continuous improvement can the reputation be maintained. Defence courses keep up with the times.