Ltn. Colonel Tommi Sikanen, Deputy Director of National Defense Courses, Finnish Defense Forces, at One Health Security Conference, 14-15 Oct 2019, THL, Helsinki

1. 58 Years of Comprehensive Security
National Defence Courses

2. Why? - Some words about the History
During the Second World War the
entire Finnish society was forced
to co-operate in order to maintain
activities of vital importance and
to secure the living standards of
the citizens.
The readiness of the civilian
sector was partially inadequate
for functional requirements set by
the war.
As a result military officers were
posted to leading positions in
many of those organizations to
maintain the activities of vital
importance.

3. 229 Courses
The first National Defence Course was arranged in April 1961.

4. The first female participants
The first female
participants attended
the 9th National
Defence Course in 1963
Helvi Sipilä
Ritva Santavuori

5. Today - almost 60 years later – the aim
is still the same.
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To give civilian and military personnel in leading positions an overall view of
Finnish foreign, security and defence policies, an overview of the
organisation and preparedness of the different sectors of society in National
Comprehensive Security
To familiarise the participants with the tasks of the different sectors of
society and their implementation within the field of National Security.
To promote mutual co-operation and networking of key personnel in different
sectors of society acting within the field of National Security.

6. National Defence Courses (3,5 weeks)
 from 1961
 229 courses organized (4/year)
 over 9 300 participants
In the Picture 77. NDC
Regional Defence Courses (1 week)
 from 1962
 approx. 1 000 courses organized
(~20+/year)
 over 58 000 participants
National Special Courses (2-4 days)
 from 1986
 58 courses organized (2-3/year)
 over 2 800 participants
What are the results so far ?

7. How training is controlled and
executed?
Cabinet Committee on
Foreign and Security Policy
Gives broad outlines
Appoints members to
the Committee for
National Defence
Education
Chief of Defence
Confirms the content of the
courses
Invites the participants
Implementation by NDC
National Defence Courses
Director of
NDC
Sec of SDC
Compiles
the list of
participants
Advisory Committee for
National Defence
Education
Selects participants
Need for education
 curricula
Plans and leads
Regional Defence Courses
“Governors”
Responsible for the implementation
in close co-operation with the
Military Provinces

8. Advisory Committee for National
Defence Education (17 + 2)
• Chief of Defence Staff (Chairman)
• State Secretary to the Prime Minister
• State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Permanent Secretary of Ministry of the
Interior
• Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Defence
• State Secretary of Ministry of Finance
• Permanent Secretary of Ministry of
Education and Culture
• Director General of Department for Rescue
Services
• Chairman of National Emergency Supply
Organisation
• Chairman of the Advisory Board for Defence
Information
• Chief of Operations of the Defence Forces
• Rector of the National Defence
University
• Chairman of the National Council of
Women of Finland
• Chairman of the Central Organisation
of Finnish Trade Unions
• Chairman of the Confedaration of
Finnish Industries
• Chairman of the Board of the Central
Union of Agricultural Producers and
Forest Owners
• Director General of one Regional
State Administrative Agency
• Director of the National Defence
Courses (Secretary)
• Secretary General of the Secretariat
of the Security Committee (Secretary)

9. Process of selecting course
participants
9
• NDC sends out formal letters to 70+ organizations requesting nominees
• NDC personnel goes through the proposals and prepares initial lists of
participants
• After the initial process lists of proposed course participants will be
scrutinized and accepted by the Advisory Committee of National Defence
Education which convenes in May.
• Those who have been selected by the Comittee will receive an initial
notification about their selection, followed with a formal invitation by the
Chief of Defence approximately six months prior to course.

10. Distribution
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10
 Parliament and political parties 14%
 Administration 17%
 The commercial and industrial sectors 32%
 Media, Labour Unions, Employer organisations, NGOs 19%
 Science, Universities and Culture 12%
 Finnish Defence Forces 6%

11. Participants
Finance
Judicial
Labor
Union
Industry
Culture
Association

12. The Curriculum
The curriculum of the National Defence Course
is divided into the following subjects:
• Basic knowledge of foreign, security and
defence policy as well as comprehensive
security
• Military defence
• Internal security
• Functioning of society and economy
• Media and Communication
• Other fields of vital functions

13. The weekly programme
1st Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Morning Opening Lectures Military branch (Navy) Applied training
Afternoon Lectures Applied training Lectures Lectures
Evening Parliament of Finland
Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
Finnish Border Guard,
Finnish Security
Intelligence Service
2nd Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Morning Lectures Rescue department Lectures
Applied training
Afternoon Lectures Applied training Lectures
Evening
Police department,
Media: Yle, MTV
Neste
(Porvoo Oil Refinery)
3rd Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Morning Lectures
Applied training and presentation of
the Finnish Defence Forces in garrison environmentAfternoon Applied training
Evening
4th Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Morning Lectures
Lectures Lectures
Afternoon
National Bureau of
Investigation
Evening
Finnish Meteorological
Institute
Closing dinner

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Follow up
National Defence
Course (1961-)
3,5 weeks
Supplementary
Course (1967-)
2 days
 After 5 years
 2 courses together
 New info + updating
Voluntary course meetings 1-2 times per year
Foreign and security Policy briefings and social gatherings
(In 2018 there were 100 course meetings)
National Defence Course Association
3 high level Security Policy seminars per year
4 publications per year (Security Policy)
1 trip abroad per year
supported by 3 defence related foundations
Advanced
Course (1985-)
1 day
 After 10 years
 2 courses together
 Updating

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