NATO launches counter-terrorism capacity-building course

In a pioneering effort among international organizations, NATO officially launched its standardised curriculum on counter-terrorism in 2020. Since then, experts have been working on transforming the Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum (CTRC) into a comprehensive online course. Building on the modules of the CTRC, this course (eCTRC) provides a distance-learning tool to help participants understand the challenges posed by international terrorism and develop effective responses.

“As recognized by NATO`s Strategic Concept adopted last year at the NATO Summit in Madrid, terrorism remains a persistent asymmetric security threat, affecting Member States and partners alike,” James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO`s Emerging Security Challenges Division highlighted. “The launch of the eCTRC demonstrates NATO`s determination to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and supports the Alliance`s long-term vision for the next decade to scale-up capacity-building assistance for partners facing security challenges,” he also said.

“Through the Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum, the Alliance has helped Ukraine and Jordan to develop their own tailored counter-terrorism strategies and courses,” Burcu San, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO`s Operations Division, added. “Since then, there has been growing interest from other NATO partners to utilise the curriculum in both civilian and military education and training institutions. NATO will continue to assist partners’ educational institutions as they integrate the Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum into their teaching programmes,” she underscored.

Dr. Sajjan Gohel, Editor of the Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum pointed out that the eCTRC reflects NATO’s innovative capabilities by providing a hands-on learning tool for professional military education that brings together multiple disciplines and skill-sets, irrespective of geographical location. “The eCTRC serves as a platform for integrated, in-depth, and critical understanding of terrorism,” he said.

The eCTRC includes more than 350 diagrams, podcasts, pictures and images, 20 case studies, as well as discussion tasks, thus ensuring an interactive learning experience. The course will be available on the Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) eAcademy platform, as well as on the learning websites of Allied Command Transformation, the NATO School Oberammergau and the NATO Defence College. A sample version is available for testing.