The Joint Services Staff College - Istituto di Stato Maggiore Interforze (ISSMI) was established in July 1994 following the reorganization of the Centre for High Defence Studies (CASD – Centro Alti Studi per la Difesa).
It is under the responsibility of a Major General or equivalent rank and is directly subordinated to the President of CASD.
Its Director is supported by four Brigadiers or Officers of equivalent rank from the four Services acting as Deputy Directors.
The mission of ISSMI is to nurture the professional development and culture of the Armed Forces Officers for later significant assignments in national and international environments.
Majors and Lieutenant Colonels, or military personnel with equivalent rank, attend the Joint Services Staff Course. They are selected among those who attended the Command and Staff courses at their respective Service Schools. Also a group of foreign Officers from friendly and allied Countries attends the course.
Starting from academic year 2000-2001, civilian graduates at the University of Milan and at the Libera Università Internazionale di Studi Sociali «Guido Carli» of Rome have been admitted to the course. This is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by CASD and the above mentioned universities. It establishes that the Joint Services Staff Course be coupled with a master’s degree in “International strategic and military studies” open to both military and civil attendees from the two universities.
As of academic year 2011-2012, an agreement was signed with Università di Roma Tre focusing on a Post-graduate Master’s Degree in International Military Strategic Studies.
On 30th May 2011, the Joint Services Staff Course obtained the ISO 9001 quality certification, becoming a reference point in the higher training of senior managers and of the future leaders of the NATO Armed Forces and the EU.
The educational process and training methodology adopted are based on an interactive system that includes tutors and visiting professors. The system promotes active participation in all activities and the development of self-learning capabilities by individual participants, while widening and deepening their knowledge and expertise through lectures, seminars, and individual and team work.
An average of 210 participants attends the annual courses, 15% of which are foreigners. They are divided into joint and multinational working groups of 14-15 students each, under the supervision of a qualified Officer acting as a tutor.
Teaching is developed mainly by visiting lecturers and military and civilian experts, two thirds of whom come from the most important Italian universities and from major industrial and entrepreneurial centers both in Italy and abroad.
Seminars are held regularly, also with the participation of renowned institutional officials and high-ranking Officers holding prominent offices in national and international institutions.
Course curricula include the following macro-subjects ranging from the political-strategic level down to the operational one:
- the political, legal and economic international framework;
- the security and defense policy and the ensuing strategic planning;
- the military historical and strategic background and the related developed doctrine;
- the planning and conduct of multinational, joint and interagency operations;
- management and sociology of complex organizations.
In order to foster the integration of NATO Staff Officers, course curricula envisage bilateral activities with similar educational institutions belonging to NATO, PfP (Partnership for Peace) and the Mediterranean Countries. Field Studies in Italy and abroad are also part of the ISSMI Course and aim at deepening relationships and strengthening integration among the Officers of the different Services.
The Military Legal Advisor (LEGAD) Course is also held at CASD. It focuses on International Humanitarian Law and on Law of Armed Conflicts (LOAC) as envisaged by the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions. The course is attended by Officers designated by the respective Service Staffs/General HQs and by military and civilian personnel of the Italian Red Cross.
In addition, ISSMI holds the Civil-Military Cooperation Course (COCIM) as well as other national and international courses requested by IT MOD.
