A Perspective regarding the Adaptation of Romanian Joint Command Master’s Programmes to the Current Challenges of the Operating Environment

This year marks the 135th anniversary of the establishment of the Higher War College, whose tradition is continued by “Carol I” National Defence University. Over the years, this school has trained many renowned commanders of the Romanian Armed Forces, the relevance of the study programme being ensured by the continuous improvement of the educational process in line with the philosophies of combat and the specificities of armed conflicts. Today, we are witnessing a profound transformation of our society, which has a direct impact on the way armed forces operate. In an information and digital age that has fundamentally transformed the way of communication, in which the main function of information has changed from knowledge to influence, in an environment where new technologies shape our current way of life and autonomous systems are increasingly present in armed conflicts, military education cannot but keep pace and adapt to these requirements in order to maintain its societal relevance and ensure the timely preparation of the future commanders of the Romanian Armed Forces. These are the reasons why the article draws the attention of the Romanian military leadership to the need to transform the main university degree programme of its armed forces in order to effectively fulfil the main function for which it was designed, to prepare and provide highly trained personnel capable of assuming leadership positions and actively contributing to the enhancement of the combat power of the Romanian Armed Forces. This study also proposes some directions to be followed in order to increase the relevance of the curriculum in the current operating environment.