Outreach Programs
Outreach is an integral component of the Marshall Center's mission to create a more stable security environment among the nations of Europe, Eurasia, North America and beyond. Through its Outreach Programs Directorate (OPD), the Marshall Center is able to extend programs on critical security and defense issues to the widest possible audiences within partner nations, including those who may not be able to attend resident courses in Garmisch, and respond to the needs of stakeholders for special focused events.
In coordination with the College of International and Security Studies, OPD plans, develops and conducts more than 100 outreach activities each year. While the topics addressed by outreach events vary according to the current challenges faced by the audience, the focus of the events remains on security sector reform and capacity building. These events are designed to assist an institution or nation in applying knowledge and resources to the development of its capability in a given area, such as democratic oversight of defense programs. They also support international discussions that seek to build a common vision leading to cooperative efforts that enhance security and stability in the Center's area of interest.
The Marshall Center offers a spectrum of outreach programs, ranging from week-long events imparting specific information and skills in depth to single-day events presenting informed perspectives on timely issues.
Conferences and workshops: These events, typically three to four working days in length, allow for focused sharing of information and viewpoints among experts and policymakers, leading to a summary report with concrete policy recommendations. Conferences and workshops are conducted in single-nation or multinational regional formats either in Germany or at a location in a participating country.
Regional Education Team Seminars: Teams of Marshall Center faculty routinely conduct customized Regional Education Team Seminars (RETS) throughout the world, bringing Marshall Center expertise directly to partner nations in tailored, compressed form. RETS typically are five-day packages of detailed, interactive instruction for audiences of 20-50 officials on requested topics of interest. Currently available packages include Terrorism; Stability, Security, Transformation and Reconstruction; NATO; Euro-Atlantic Security; and Defense Institution Building.
Tutorials: Tutorials are multi-day, tailored instructional events at the Marshall Center for top-level officials, especially those new in their positions. Recent programs have been organized for ministers of defense, chiefs of defense, and parliamentarians.
Speakers Bureau: As subject matter experts, Marshall Center faculty members are in great demand as guest speakers at partner military and civilian academic institutions and at Marshall Center alumni events. Marshall Center speakers present informed comment and analysis on a wide range of contemporary security issues, such as regional security, peace and stability operations, border security, combating organized crime and corruption, intelligence, international law, and defense transformation. Speakers are available to give presentations in English, German, Russian and several other regional languages.
Consulting Services: Regional and subject matter specialists on the Marshall Center faculty and staff are available for analysis and feedback on specific projects or reform initiatives pursued by national governments. Recent consulting has included the appraisal of strategic documents, such as national security and military strategies, and review of plans to modernize professional military education.
Alumni Events: As part of its continuing engagement with alumni, the Marshall Center offers support for alumni-led activities, such as security cooperation roundtables, which provide an opportunity for security professionals in their countries to discuss important security issues in an inter-ministerial forum.
