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ISOMA Author and Panelist Biographies and Paper Titles Biographical sketches and abstracts are printed as submitted by the authors. Some have been lightly edited for consistency and length.
CONFERENCE THEME FOCUS: Cyber/Information (Mastering New Domains) Linda Risso Institution: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England Paper Title: 21st Century Military Leadership and Strategic Communications: The Case of NATO Biographical Sketch: Dr. Risso is an expert on European defence and security in the 20th and 21st centuries. She is Senior Researcher at the Centre for Army Leadership (designated) at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom. Previously, she worked for the Office of the Historical Advisor at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium. At SHAPE, was the lead researcher and one of the voices of SHAPE’s official twelve-episode podcast An Enduring Alliance, produced for the 70th anniversary of NATO. Dr Risso has published extensively on the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and in particular on the role of military and political leaders. Among her most relevant publications are: Propaganda and intelligence in the Cold War: The NATO Information Service (Routledge, 2014); “NATO Secretary General: The Limits of Leadership” in Organizing the World. The Emergence of International Public Administration 1920-1960, Edited by Karen Gram-Skoldager, Haakon A. Ikonomou, Torsten Kahlert (Bloomsbury, 2020); NATO at 70: A historiographical approach (Editor. Routledge, 2019); “I am the servant of the Council: Lord Ismay and the making of the NATO International Staff”, Contemporary European History (2019); “The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation” in Global Politics: Actors and Themes. Understanding International Affairs. Edited by K. Larres and R. Wittlinger. Routledge. Aug. 2019 Abstract: This article examines the historical development of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s approach to strategic communications. It argues that the unique nature of the NATO as a military and political multinational organization has acted as an obstacle in the creation of a coherent information effort across the Alliance. The aerial campaign in Kosovo (1998-1999) caused an unprecedented level of scrutiny from the western media and public. It was a wakeup call for the political and military leaders of the Alliance, who were forced to carry out a radical review of their communication strategy and to push for a more coherent effort. The process received further impetus following the establishment of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan a decade later. The launch of the ISAF Communication Directorate was a huge leap forward at tactical level. It was, however, the occupation of Crimea and the crisis in Ukraine in 2014 that lead to a proper coordination of all strategic communication activities across the Alliance in 2017. Yet, today, difficulties in terms of capability building and decision-making structure continue to affect the Alliance’s information effort.
CONFERENCE THEME FOCUS: Educational Challenges/Methods (Foundational Methods) Onuralp Aydin Institution: Turkish Military Academy Paper Title: Professional Military Education 4.0 at the Turkish Military Academy: What Are the Implications of UAV Pilotage Training to Turkish Higher Military Education?
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Norwich University
