Senior Asia-Pacific Orientation Course

Course Description

General: 

1. Purpose:  This course provides a basic orientation on trends and current issues shaping the Asia-Pacific security environment, equipping Senior Fellows with policy and cultural perspectives important for interaction and engagement with Asia-Pacific nations.  By design, this course directly supports the U.S. Pacific Command by providing its senior staff and supporting components an educational environment to create a foundation of knowledge or build upon already existing Asia-Pacific experiences.  

2. Description:  The course provides an introduction to Asia-Pacific culture, politics, protocols and challenges, while addressing U.S. interests in the region.  The curriculum is focused by day and examines: Day One) Regional Perspectives, Day Two) Regional Issues, and Day Three) Transnational Challenges.  Attention is given to both historical and emerging issues.  The course includes a rigorous program of lectures and interactive sessions, and three senior-leader seminar sessions. 

All course attendees attain membership in an expanded network of contacts among security practitioners that includes their fellow class-mates and APCSS faculty as well as the APCSS alumni network and a regional “community of expertise” via a dedicated web portal.

3.  Length: Three days.

4.  Frequency: Two times per year.

5.  Fellows: 07 and above and their civilian equivalents; up to 25 Senior Fellows per course; all self-funded.  This is a U.S. only course.

Who would benefit by attending this course:

·         Primarily U.S. PACOM or component Senior Leaders whose current position requires making (or having significant input to) critical interagency decisions requiring significant input to intergovernmental policy analysis, formulation and decisions in international settings

·         U.S. Senior Leaders in training for service in Asia-Pacific settings whose current/future responsibilities require significant input to intergovernmental policy analysis, formulation and decisions

·         U.S. security practitioners serving as Senior Leaders for important interagency organizations/headquarters with Asia-Pacific linkages

Educational Objectives:  To achieve the course purpose stated above, the SEAPOC has specific educational objectives in four areas: 1) Enhanced knowledge, 2) Improve Fellow leader skills, 3) Expand Fellow security-practitioner, 4) Build Fellow Teaming Skills:

 1.  Enhanced knowledge in the following areas:

·         Knowledge and better understanding of the Asia-Pacific region as a whole

·         Understanding of sub-regional and national perspectives on security challenges

·         Understanding of selected Regional Issues and Transnational Challenges

2.  Improve Fellow leader skills in the following areas:

·         Enhancing skills and abilities in articulating U.S. national security policy; confidently and assertively proposing options to  security-policy formulators and decision-makers for action

·         Accurately identifying man-made and natural threats and security challenges, regional and transnational

·         Identifying risk and articulating options balancing risk with intended outcomes related to countering terrorist ideologies and stability operations

·         Identifying alternative security-cooperation options

3.  Expand Fellow security-practitioner networks in the following areas:

·         Among Senior Asia-Pacific Orientation Course Fellows

·         Among APCSS faculty and guest lecturers

·         Through alumni contacts at home and regionally

4.  Build Fellow Teaming Skills:

  • Identify, link, and exploit team-member expertise, perspectives

o        Unique contributions possible

o        Areas of agreement/disagreement/inter-dependencies

  • Identify requirements to act (terms of reference, subject knowledge needed, methods of operating)

Educational Approach:

  • Primary medium for learning in this course are essential, current, real-world background context lectures and interactive sessions
  • To allow the Senior Fellows to interact with APCSS Senior Leadership and each other, three Senior Leader seminars are offered: 1) Regional Perspectives 2) Regional Issues 3) The Future of Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region: Senior Practitioner’s.
  • Discussions, interactive presentations, and seminars are guided by flexible APCSS facilitators and Senior Leaders encouraging mutual respect, transparency, non-attribution, effective listening, and clear communication skills

·         Faculty and Senior Leaders will ensure Fellows understand all information presented in lectures,  interactive presentations, and seminar sessions

·         APCSS will emphasize factual analyses, conclusions and recommendations based upon today’s security issues but taking into account cultural perspectives

 

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