International Society of Military Sciences

International Society of Military Sciences
Abbreviation ISMS
Formation October 22, 2008
Type International Society
Legal status active
Purpose to further research and academic education in military arts and sciences
Region served
International
Official language
English
Website http://www.isofms.org
Remarks to further research and academic education in military arts and sciences

The International Society of Military Sciences (ISMS) is an international organization whose stated aim is to build a strong network for the creation, development, exchange and diffusion of research and knowledge about war, conflict management and peace support efforts. The ISMS was founded in October 2008. The Austrian National Defence Academy, the Royal Military College of Canada, the Royal Danish Defence College, the Finnish National Defence University, the Netherlands Defence Academy, the Norwegian Defence University College, the Swedish National Defence College and the Baltic Defence College established this society with the intention to further research and academic education in military arts and sciences in the broadest sense.

Establishing the ISMS

In the summer of 2007 the Faculty of Military Sciences, Netherlands Defence Academy, started working on more international collaboration on an institutional level. Canada, Sweden and Austria were the first military institutes and universities which were approached for collaboration. Soon four other institutes joined in. In November 2011, the National Defence University of Warsaw and the Royal Military Academy (Belgium) were voted in. The Royal Military Academy of Belgium withdrew their membership before the council meeting in Oslo, May 2017.

Letter of Intent

The formal signing of the Letter of Intent was on October 22, 2008 in Copenhagen. That day the participating academies also decided to formally present the ISMS in November 2009 during its first annual international conference which was to be held in the Netherlands. The theme of this first conference was “Security in 2020 in a Multi-Polar World”.

Letter of Intent

1) The undersigned institutions of Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, and the Baltic Defence College (later referred to as the institutions) agree to establish a society intended to further research and academic education in military arts and sciences in the broadest sense. This association is titled International Society of Military Sciences (hereafter referred to as the Society).

2) The purpose of the Society is to build a network for the creation, development, exchange and diffusion of research and knowledge about war, conflict management and peace support efforts.

3) The Society will establish an annual conference, and one or more workshops per year. Activities include communications and publications to support a research network within topics such as: war studies; military history; military technology; command and control, leadership and basic competence; law and ethics; security and defence policy and strategy; armed forces and society; and defence economics and management. These are detailed in Annex A.

4) The representatives of the member institutions constitute the Council as the highest authority governing the Society. The Council elects a Board governing the Society. The purpose of the Board is to initiate and coordinate the activities of the Society. The institution hosting the annual conference provides the secretariat for the Society for the period of one year.

5) Society members commit themselves to organise and participate in various workshops, conference or working groups, with the understanding that they will endeavour to lead at least one working group or workshop and participate in at least two others. A tentative schedule of upcoming events is attached at Annex B.

6) The Society will be established for the four-year term in October 2008 upon signing of Letter of Intent by the institutions, and it is announced at the First Annual Conference.

7) The first Annual Conference will be held in November 2009. Invitations to participate in the Conference and to join the Society will be distributed widely. The Council will consider applications for new membership by compatible organizations annually. However, participation in conferences and workshops is welcomed at any time.

Organizational Format

The ISMS is an institutional membership organization composed of higher military educational institutions in smaller and medium seized nations.[1] Membership of the ISMS is open to defence universities and colleges conducting research and teaching at the highest national level. The Charter specifically state that its members must be free to conduct research without political control and interference and they must operate in a political system with firm democratic control over the armed forces. More so, membership is by invitation only.[2]

The governing body of the ISMS is the Council, which is made up by one representative of each member institution. The Chairmanship of the Council is assumed by the ISMS Presidency. The Presidency of the ISMS rotates on an annual bases between the member institutions. It is the role of the Presidency to host the annual ISMS conference and act as the ISMS secretariat for the period between the annual conferences. ISMS uses a thematic Working Group division where each working group is lead by a Chairperson.

Presidencies and Presidents[3]

Annual ISMS Conferences

ISMS working groups

The ISMS working groups are communities of research interest, with a lead institution, which dissemine knowledge within the community, and organize seminars at the annual conference.

[16]

Sources

References

  1. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/cms_uploads/ABon-WFeichtinger2010.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/cms_uploads/CHARTER%20of%20the%20ISMS%20adopted%20June%202011.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/home.html
  4. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/isms-conference-2017.html
  5. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/isms-conference-2016.html
  6. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/cms_uploads/ISMS%202016/ISMS%202016%20Programme%20-%20ERRATA%2011-10-16.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/isms-conference-2015.html
  8. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/isms-conference-2014.html
  9. ↑ http://www.bundesheer.at/wissen-forschung/publikationen/beitrag.php?id=2581
  10. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/isms-conference-2013.html
  11. ↑ http://forsvaret.dk/FAK/eng/news/Pages/ISMSConference2013ASummary.aspx
  12. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/isms-conference-2012.html
  13. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/papers.html
  14. ↑ The International Society of Military Sciences
  15. ↑ ISMS Council Meetings
  16. ↑ http://www.isofms.org/pagina/working-groups.html ISMS working groups
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