Professor Massimo Campanini, from the University School for Advanced Studies (www.iusspavia.it) in Pavia presented a lecture to key NRDC-ITA staff, titled “The Repercussions of the Arab Spring, Stability and Instability of the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA)”.
The lecture from this renowned expert on Islam represented an opportunity for the NRDC-ITA community to increase their knowledge of this complex region, whilst building on the Headquarters’ strong relationship with academic experts.
In this regard, the NATO HQ has a formal agreement with 6 elite Italian universities with the aim of exchanging expertise and increasing mutual understanding.
The readiness to prevent and respond to emerging threats in the south is one of NATO’s key priorities, as demonstrated by the establishment in 2017 of the "NATO Strategic Direction South Hub" in Naples (www.thesouthernhub.org). The Southern Hub promotes partnership, cooperation and dialogue with the main players’ and institutions of the MENA region.
NRDC-ITA is firmly committed to supporting the Alliance and works regularly with the Hub’s threat analysis and situation monitoring, to assess likely crises before they emerge.
Building cooperation with key stakeholders and increasing its readiness capabilities are key priorities for NRDC-ITA. Having recently completed its turn of duty as NATO Response Force Land Component Command, the HQ is transitioning to the role of a Corps HQ. Throughout this change it continues to act as an important training hub for NATO and Italian units, providing vital liaison between civilian experts and military planners.