European Security Course by Geneva Centre for Security Policy

The European Security Course (ESC) 2027 is an advanced executive education programme run by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) for mid-career peace and security professionals. Delivered online and in Geneva, Switzerland, it places European security within a wider global context.

Across eight modules, participants examine global security challenges; the architecture formed by the European Union, NATO and OSCE; developments in wider Europe; and security dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific. Discussions also address migration, climate change, terrorism, cyber security, outer space and the Arctic, connecting traditional defence concerns with emerging risks.

The course aims to strengthen strategic understanding, policy practice and leadership through exchanges among professionals from different sectors and countries. It combines regional analysis with a focus on how Europe’s choices interact with security developments elsewhere. A former participant from INTERPOL describes a demanding, highly interactive learning environment with discussions, simulations and individual assignments, where contrasting viewpoints are an important part of the experience.