About Us

Kosovo Defense Academy

The Kosovo Defense Academy (KDA) is the main institution responsible for preparing officers and developing future leaders for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). Committed to the continuous training and qualification of its personnel, the KDA ensures that officers are equipped to make sound, timely decisions in fulfilling their mission.

Key Responsibilities

Recruitment, Education, and Training

• Cadet Recruitment and Training: Conducts comprehensive recruitment, education, and training programs for cadets.
• Officer Career Development: Provides specialized education and training to enhance the career progression of officers.
• Doctrinal Publications: Compiles and publishes essential doctrinal materials tailored to various military branches.
• Course Development: Develops and implements courses specific to different military branches.

KDA consists of Centre for University Studies and Officers School

• Centre for University Studies prepares cadets to become KSF exemplary officers through it four years schooling system  that consists of the following pillars:
  1. Academic Program
  2. Professional Program
  3. Leadership Program
  4. Physical Fitness Program
• Officers School delivers courses required for the career progression of officers and specialized courses for officers’ education. Among the courses offered are:
  • Basic Officer Courses
  • Basic Professionally Qualified Officer Courses
  • Captains’ Career Courses
  • Command and General Staff Course

KDA Important Events:

• Security Forum: A biennial forum that addresses contemporary developments of particular interest to KDA. It gathers a wide range of experts and stakeholders with the intention of yielding beneficial outcomes for KDA.
• “Triumfi Dardan” Patrol: An exceptionally arduous 35 km combat patrol with a 30 kg weight load that must be completed within 32 hours.
• Epopee Run: A run held every 5th, 6th, and 7th of March, featuring a 4 km run every 5 hours, totaling 59 km, in remembrance of the 59 martyrs of the JASHARI Family.

ISOMA

ISOMA (International Symposium of Military Academies), is a biennial gathering of military academy delegates from around the world. ISOMA is a collaborative platform that discusses different approaches for equipping cadets and junior officers with academic prowess, cultural competencies, strength of character, innovative capabilities, and principled leadership necessary to effectively face the world’s growing complexity and uncertainty. In 2006, the Korean Military Academy (KMA) drew up the blueprint of ISOMA, which subsequently has been held on a biennial basis since 2007. From 2017 onwards, ISOMA’s meetings and activities have been organized under the auspices of the International Association of Military Academies (IAMA). The key topics covered in prior meetings are those related to adjusting the ecosystem of future officers’ education and training to the changes brought on by the rapid environmental and technological developments.

Preceding Symposia:

• 2023 – The 8th symposium (Qatar – Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College (Abmmc)
  Theme: Military-Academic Education in the Current International Environment
• 2021 – The 7th symposium (USA – Norwich University (NU)).
  Theme: Preparing military leaders to effectively resolve 21st century security challenges.
• 2019 – The 6th symposium (SWEDEN – Military Academy Karlberg (MAK)).
  Theme: Managing adaptation in military and education training.
• 2017 – The 5th symposium (CANADA – Royal Military College Saint-Jean (RMC)).
  Theme: The development of general culture and critical thinking in the training of officers and military personnel.
• 2015 – The 4th symposium (SPAIN – Academia General Militar (AGM)).
  Theme: Comprehensive Education for officers to face New Security Challenges.
• 2013 – The 13th Hwarangdae International Symposium (SOUTH KOREA – Korean Military Academy (KMA)).
  Theme: Leadership for military officers, theories, applications and new perspectives.
• 2011 – The 3rd symposium (COLUMBIA – Escuela Militar of Cadets General Jose Maria Cordova (ESMIC)).
  Theme: Challenges for military academies in the training of 21st century officers.
• 2009 – The 2nd symposium (FRANCE – Ecole Speciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM Saint-Cyr)).
  Theme: Irregular warfare training for officers.
• 2007 – The 1st symposium (SOUTH KOREA – Korea Military Academy (KMA)).
  Theme: The changing environment of future educational innovation for military academies.

IAMA

International Association of Military Academies (IAMA)

Overview:

The International Association of Military Academies (IAMA) was founded in 2017 during the International Symposium on the Development of Military Academies (ISoDoMA) held in Canada, by Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Michel Maisonneuve, the then academic director of the Royal Military College Saint-Jean. IAMA is a collection of prestigious international military academies that offer military trainings and academic education to cadets and junior officers. The association promotes the exchange of skills, knowledge, and expertise among member military academies.

Mission and Goals:

The primary mission of IAMA is to promote knowledge and competency sharing in the training and education fields among its member military academies.
To fulfil its mission, IAMA pursues a coherent set of core objectives, including:
1. Sharing the best practices and approaches in the domains of general, professional, and military training and education for officer cadets.
2. Facilitating exchange of cadets, military personnel, or civilian staff between member academies.
3. Organizing regular events for member academies.
4. Developing and supporting an expanding network of military academies.
5. Developing thematic working groups to deal with specific emerging issues.

Founding Institutions:

IAMA was first founded by the Korean Military Academy (KMA). Co-founders incorporate the following institutions:
1. Royal Military College Saint-Jean (RMC Saint-Jean; Canada).
2. Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC; Canada).
3. Karlberg Military Academy of Sweden (Militärhögskolan Karlberg; Sweden).
4. École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM Saint-Cyr; France).
5. Escuela Militar de Cadetes Gral. José María Córdova (ESMIC; Columbia).
6. Academia General Militar (AGM; Spain).
7. United States Military Academy (West Point; USA).

Member institutions

In addition to the above-mentioned list of co-founders, the following institutions are members of IAMA:
1. Kosovo Defense Academy (Kosovo).
2. Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University (SU; South Africa).
3. Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras (AMAN; Brazil).
4. Helmut-Schmidt-Universität / Universität der Bundeswehr in Hamburg (HSU/UniBwH; Germany).
5. General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy (Lithuania).
6. General Tadeusz Kosciuszko Military University of Land Forces (AWL; Poland).
7. Norwich University (NU; USA).
8. University of North Georgia (UNG; USA).
9. Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College (ABMMC; Qatar).
10. Philippine Military Academy (PMA; Philippines).