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Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe, T.D., attends the opening of the Conference “Military Education in the 21st Century” and the launch of the academic publication ‘Building a Better Future: Contributions by the Irish Defence Forces’

The Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe, T.D., today (Thursday 8 March 2012) attended the opening of the Conference “Military Education in the 21st Century” and the launch of the academic publication ‘Building a Better Future: Contributions by the Irish Defence Forces’. The Conference, which was organised jointly by the Command and Staff School and the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, was an initiative which had aims of helping to:-

Ø further improve educational standards within the Defence Forces, consistent with best international military practice; and

Ø consolidate and develop the link between educational advances and the development and modernisation of Defence Forces capabilities essential  to delivering the roles assigned to them by Government.

The conference also helped to mark the 10th anniversary of a joint strategic education partnership between the two institutions.

Speaking at the Conference the Minister noted that “Over the last decade a number of measures have been taken to further improve the quality of education provided in the Command and Staff School”. He cited in particular the establishment of the Masters of Arts in Leadership, Management & Defence Studies and the commencement of the strategic education partnership with the National University of Ireland Maynooth, - NUIM -, which he said “has contributed greatly not only to the standard of education but also to the good standing of the Defence Forces in various circles of public, academic and business life.”  He also said that “the introduction of the Strategic Leadership course in 2008” had helped to continue “this positive developmental momentum”.

The Minister went on to say that the purpose of the conference “was to promote high quality, relevant research for the Defence Forces” and that this would “have the added benefit of promoting awareness of the activities of the Defence Forces, promoting positive relationships with academic institutions outside the Defence Forces; and promoting the Military College as an active centre of research”.

The event also served as the launch of ‘Building a Better Future: Contributions by the Irish Defence Forces’ a joint academic publication by academics from NUIM and members of the Defence Forces – both serving and retired. Speaking about the publication the Minister said that it “reflects the breadth and variety of contexts in which the Irish Defence Forces are engaged”.  The Minister went on to say that publication “highlights some of the high quality research being undertaken by members of the Defence Forces in a wide range of areas. In doing so it validates the initiative undertaken by the Defence Forces and NUIM in establishing a strategic academic partnership”.