WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, NATO Allied Command Transformation facilitated a NATO Model Event, hosted by the George Washington University. Thirty-two students from the University’s Elliott School for International Affairs each represented a NATO member nation during a simulated North Atlantic Council session. The discussion focused on challenges concerning NATO and a fictitious Hybrid Warfare scenario, a pertinent and growing topic within geopolitics.
In advance of the event, participants conducted research on their country’s history, as well as their policy toward, and potential experience with, countering hybrid and cyber threats.
On the day of the event, the student diplomats demonstrated their ability to negotiate and think critically while also accounting for the geopolitical perspectives and sensitivities of various member nations. The goal of the session was to reach an Alliance-wide consensus on NATO’s possible response actions.
Allied Command Transformation staff spearheaded the event and provided important perspectives on the actual functions of North Atlantic Council meetings, leveraging experience in these sessions to guide and inform the NATO Model Event. These staff members acted as the Secretary General, Chair of the Military Committee and Assistant Secretary General, operating much as an actual North Atlantic Council session would. This format encourages a real-life atmosphere that fosters debate, problem solving and consensus-driven decision-making among the Allied countries represented by the university students.
NATO Model Events hold importance for both the Alliance and the students. The outreach for Allied Command Transformation strengthens its mission of encouraging youth engagement and academic values in NATO member nations. Furthermore, this event increases the awareness of NATO’s mission and its role while also providing a valuable education opportunity for student participants. For many students, the NATO Model Event is their first exposure to the NATO decision-making process.
Following the event, personnel from NATO’s Allied Command Transformation and the NATO Communication and Information Agency held an informative seminar with the student diplomats, answering questions on the structure of NATO and career opportunities with the Alliance.
The NATO Model Event serves as an important bridge between the academia, military organizations and the NATO Alliance. As one of NATO’s two strategic commands, NATO Allied Command Transformation’s mission is to contribute to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading the transformation efforts of military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.
