The Joint Services Staff College

The Joint Services Staff College ('Istituto di Stato Maggiore Interforze' or ISSMI) was established in July 1994 following the reorganization of the Centre for High Defence Studies. It is under the responsibility of a Major General or equivalent rank and is directly subordinated to the Chairman of the CASD.

ISSMI's Director is supported by four Deputy Directors from the four Services, they are Brigadiers or Officers of equivalent ranks.
The mission of ISSMI is to nurture the vocational training and culture of the Armed Forces Officers for later significant assignments in national and international environments.

The Joint Services Staff Course is attended by Majors and Lieutenant Colonels, or military personnel with equivalent ranks. These are selected amongst 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.

From the academic year 2000-2001, a group of civilian graduates are admitted to the course. This is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the CASD and italian universities. It envisages that the Joint Services Staff Course is coupled with a master in 'International Strategic and Military Studies' open to both military and civil attendees.

On May 30, 2011, the Joint Services Staff Course received the certification of quality management ISO 9001, placing itself as reference in the scene of the high formation of the senior cadres and the future leadership of the Armed Forces of the NATO and the UE.

The educational process and training methodology are based on an interactive system that includes tutors and visiting professors. The system promotes the 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.

The annual courses are attended by an average of 160 participants, 20% of them are foreigners. They are split in joint and multinational working groups of 12-14 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 centres both at home and abroad.
Seminars are held regularly, with the participation of renowned institutional officials and high ranking Officers who hold prominent offices at national and international institutions.
From the academic year 2014-2015 Civil Servants from the IT MoD are also ammitted to the course.

An agreement with the State University of Turin has been signed for the achievement, for the academic year 2017-2018, of a Post-Lauream one-year professional Master course in "International Strategic and Military Studies".

In order to promote the integration of NATO Staff Officers, the course synopses envisage bilateral activities with similar educational institutions of NATO, PfP (Partnership for Peace) and 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 hold at the 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.

The ISSMI holds, also, the Civil-Military Cooperation Course (COCIM) as well as other national and international courses requested by IT MoD.