By Christine June
Public Affairs Office
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (April 8, 2015) – Six participants from that many nations graduated from the Countering Narcotics Illicit Trafficking Language Program during a ceremony held April 8 at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here.

The course is a specially tailored language program for participants who will be attending the Marshall Center’s resident course on Countering Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking, which starts April 9.

After today’s graduation, Yuji Enomoto is now the Marshall Center’s first alumni from Japan.

This iteration of CNIT will also be special, in fact, it's a milestone for the Marshall Center.

“This year marks CNIT's progression to a global program as we have participants coming in from all across the globe,” said Professor Steve Monaco, the CNIT course director, who has 21 years of experience as a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and regional law enforcement adviser for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The Marshall Center’s Partner Language Training Center Europe developed this five-week English language immersion program for CNIT candidates who are moderately proficient in English. It is designed to improve participants’ oral communication and listening comprehension skills, while focusing on course-related terminology necessary for successful attendance in the CNIT resident course.

“This is an absolutely unique language program, which combines language skills development with the authentic CNIT content,” said Peggy Garza, chair of the English Language Programs Department for the Marshall Center’s Partner Language Training Center Europe. “Professor Monaco (CNIT director) ensured that the participants in the language program had multiple opportunities to hear lectures and engage in discussions with CNIT faculty, providing the best possible preparation for their subsequent studies in CNIT.”

This year’s CNIT-LP graduates hail from Algeria, Colombia, Guatemala, Japan, Mongolia and Morocco.

“You got your money’s worth from this course. You worked very closely together with both instructors. You asked questions about the words, meaning of the text and grammar,” said Nancy Margalit, one of the CNIT-LP instructors. “This approach will guarantee your success in the CNIT.”

Candidates nominated by their governments to attend CNIT are required to be fully proficient in the English language. Proficiency is tested via an English comprehension-level test administered at more than 120 U.S. embassies worldwide.

These CNIT-LP graduates will be joining more than 70 participants from another 50 countries in the CNIT course.

Marshall Center’s CNIT is a two week resident program that focuses on 21st century national security threats as a result of illicit trafficking and other criminal activities.

“There is a growing recognition that transnational organized crime is growing in size and influence in a world increasingly marked with globalization and diminishing importance of borders,” Monaco said. “Transnational organized crime surges into gaps of opportunities and is, frankly, threatening governments.”

This program examines the major methods by which transnational criminal and terrorist organizations engage in illegal narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities for profit.

The course is designed for government officials and practitioners who are engaged in policy development, law enforcement, intelligence, and interdiction activities aimed at countering illicit narcotics trafficking, terrorist involvement in criminal activity, and the associated elements of transnational crime and corruption.

The mission of the Marshall Center, as a vital instrument of German-American cooperation, is to create a more stable security environment by advancing democratic institutions and relationships; promoting active, peaceful, whole-of-government approaches to address transnational and regional security challenges; and creating and enhancing enduring partnerships worldwide.

The Marshall Center offers eight resident programs that examine complex transnational, regional and international security issues: Program on Terrorism and Security Studies; Program on Applied Security Studies; Program on Security Sector Capacity Building; Seminar on Regional Security; Seminar on Transnational Civil Security; Program on CNIT; Program on Cyber Security Studies; and, Senior Executive Seminar.

The Marshall Center conducts a variety of unique programs involving to date officials from more than 110 countries. The center's resident programs have a long-term academic focus, while its non-resident programs focus on current issues and problem solving. Graduate support specialists work to maintaining contact with and support more than 10,000 Marshall Center alumni.