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The Joint Services Senior Staff College ('Istituto Superiore di Stato Maggiore Interforze' or ISSMI) was founded in July 1994 following the reorganization of the Centre for High Defence Studies (CASD). Its Director is a Brigadier General or equivalent rank who responds directly to the Chairman of the CASD.
Four Colonels or equivalent rank Officers, acting as Deputy Directors, support the ISSMI Director.
The mission of ISSMI is to educate and train Officers of all the Armed Forces for future Senior Command and Staff assignments in national and international environments.
A number of selected Majors and Lieutenant Colonels (or equivalent rank) who attended the Command and Staff courses at their respective Service Staff Schools are admitted to the ISSMI course, along with a group of foreign Officers from friendly and allied Countries.
As a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the CASD and different Italian universities, since academic year 2000-2001, the military course has always been coupled with a post-graduate Masters’ in 'International Strategic and Military Studies' open to both military officers and civil attendees.
For the academic year 2021-2022, the post-graduate Master’s course will be delivered in cooperation with Turin State University.
Since academic year 2014-2015, also Civil Servants from the IT MoD attend the course.
Since 2011, the Joint Services Staff Course has an ISO 9001 certified quality management system, which assesses its proficiency in delivering quality education and training for future commanders and staff officers of the Armed Forces.
The educational process and training methodology rely on an interactive system that includes tutors and the development of soft skills. The system promotes an active participation to all the activities and the development of self-learning capabilities of individual participants, while widening and deepening their knowledge and expertise through lectures, seminars as well as individual and team works.
On average, every year 160 participants attend the course, 20% of them are foreign Officers. They are assigned to different joint and multinational working groups of 12-14 students each, under the supervision of a former student officer, acting as a tutor.
University professors, visiting lecturers, military and civilian experts, from major industrial and business centers, both foreign and national, give lectures.
In addition, high-ranking officers and civil servants serving in prominent positions at national and international institutions hold seminars.
In order to promote the integration of NATO Staff Officers, the course curriculum envisages bilateral activities with similar educational institutions of NATO, PfP (Partnership for Peace) and Mediterranean Countries. Field Studies in Italy and abroad are part of the ISSMI Course and aim at fostering networking among the Officers of the different Services.
Two more courses are a responsibility of the ColIege.
The Military Legal Advisor Course focuses on International Humanitarian Law and the Law of Armed Conflicts (LOAC) as envisaged by the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions.
Participants are Officers appointed by the respective Service Staffs/General HQs, Defence civil servants, military and civilian personnel of the Italian Red Cross. They all must hold a degree in Law. Since 2017, the course is associated to a post-graduate Masters’ degree in partnership with Turin State University.
Finally, ISSMI is responsible for the implementation of the Civil-Military Cooperation (COCIM) Course, as well as for more national and international courses, as requested by the IT MoD.
