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Research Themes in UK Professional Military Education, 2019
Cdr Conor O’Neill
ACSC 23 WAS THE second year in which a Masters
in Defence Studies by Research (MRes) was
offered by KCL as part of the course.
The broad research areas
were defined by the Chief of the Defence Staff as follows:-
• Levers of Power
• Future of Conflict
• Innovation and Adaptation
• Organisation
• People
• Information and Influence
• Challenge
Of course these themes are also reflected in the hundreds of Defence Research Papers completed by the course, both for the MA in Defence Studies and as a course requirement. However, the research areas of the twelve students from ACSC 23 who elected to undertake the MRes offer an insight into the subjects that were of interest both to defence and to those individuals, at least when they chose them in October 2019. They were:-
• Covert maritime operations and UK National security objectives
• Russian and Chinese Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2AD) capabilities and military strategic theory
• Evolving character of strategy
• Turning Art into Science: Developing the
Concepts and Structures fit for Modern Warfare
• Revolutionary War in the Information Age
• The social construction of ethical norms on war
• Artificial Intelligence: the Future Guardian of Military Ethics
• A free market military
• The UK Professional Military Education Model:
Fit for Purpose?
• Followership and operational effectiveness
• Building diversity into the future people model • Social Mobility in the Army: A conceptual study
As the course unfolded, many of these themes were explored in both the formal content, and discussions in syndicate rooms. Some, such as the evolving character of strategy, are arguably timeless, but others, such as A2AD, certainly reveal contemporary concerns even if they reflect a modern take on an enduring issue. Despite changes to technology and the subsequent impact on society, the presence of several dissertations examining personnel issues, from diversity to educational policy illustrates that,
even when considering robotics and AI, Defence has a crucial human dimension.
ACSC23’s MRes cohort meet Commandant of the Defence Academy, Maj Gen Roe
“
There is a perennial discussion about how to increase the direct utility to defence of the research generated by ACSC, accepting that the primary aim of the course is education, rather than acting as a think tank. There is clearly opportunity for it to do so, and the growth of the research capacity of student body, with topics curated from the centre, supports this. The relationship with DCDC, who sponsor many DRP topics, is also important. Whilst the enforced shut down of the residential element of the course due
to the COVID-19 pandemic has not helped build the intellectual momentum of the research programme, it will hopefully pick up again for ACSC 24. That year’s cohort will probably find the impact of pandemics might feature heavily in next year’s sponsored topic list – another enduring issue given new impetus by contemporary events.
...the impact
of pandemics might feature
heavily in next year’s sponsored topic list ◆◆◆