Research and Postgraduate Course

The Brazilian Defense College (ESD), created by the Decree Nr 10806/2021, is a High Studies Institute, part of the Ministry of Defense (MD) structure, located in Brasília Distrito Federal. The school must develop the following actions:

a. to develop the following activities, on themes of interest to the National Defense:

1) studies;

2) research;

3) teaching;

4) postgraduate;

5) extension; and

6) dissemination and interchange of knowledge;

b. to offer postgraduate courses in National Defense to civilian from state-run or private institutions, national or foreign, and to military personnel of the Brazilian Armed Forces, of friendly nations and of Auxiliary Forces.

The research and study activities are related to the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. These activities contribute to:

a. human resource development in the field of national defense, especially researchers, professor and specialized professionals, including matters on security and development;

b. the production of scientific, technological, technical, and innovative knowledge, including the Notices done in partnership between the Ministry of Defense, the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES, in Portuguese), CNPq, among others;

c. the promotion of integration with national and international academic bodies;

d. the support to the creation of prospective scenarios;

e. the encouragement of the involvement of segments of Brazilian society in defense matters, including the contribution to organizing permanent debate between civilian and military leaders, as recommended in the National Defense Strategy;

f. the preparation of studies, projects and research, especially for sectors of the Ministry of Defense, in its areas of activity and in line with the lines of research developed at ESD;

g. the creation of academic exchange and analysis networks in the field of national defense, including what concerns security and development;

h. the support for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policies relating to the national defense sector; and

i. academic production and technical production concerning the fields of Security, Development and Defense (SDD), seeking adequacy between lines of research, research projects, research groups and the training of teaching staff.

Scientific research carried out by ESD students and researchers involves the production of scientific, technological and innovative knowledge; as well as the training of human resources for the fields of national Security, Development and Defense, especially with regard to the search for solutions and academic subsidies for public policies and those of interest to the Ministry of Defense and the area of ​​Security, Development and Defense.

In the case of specialization courses, supported by Interministerial Normative Ordinance MD/MEC nº 3867, of July 14, 2022, students present a final project, in the formats of scientific article, essay, technical report or another proposed product format. At the end of the courses, students receive a graduate certificate in the course's thematic area (Advanced Studies in Defense; Strategic Intelligence; or Logistics and National Mobilization).

Focused on the vision of the future, which outlines ESD as a “Center of academic excellence recognized nationally and internationally as a reference center on topics of interest to National Defense”, the school defined as one of its priorities the structuring of a Graduate Program (Master’s Degree) in Security, Development and Defense (PPGSDD, in Portuguese). In 2022, ESD submitted the New Course Proposal (PCN, in Portuguese) to CAPES (Brazilian Federal for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education) and continued with preparations to set out its first class from 2023/2024.