Establishment of cooperation with the Armed Forces Academy of the Slovak Republic

In line with the NATO EOD COE effort to increase the Centre’s cooperation with Academia, the Director of the NATO EOD COE Colonel Robert CSASZAR visited the Slovak Republic Armed Forces Academy (AFA) in Liptovsky Mikulas on 14 July 2021.

Within the visit’s schedule, BG (ret.) Assoc. Prof. Dipl. Eng. Boris ĎURKECH, CSc. on behalf of the SVK AFA rectorate welcome EOD COE delegation.

At the same time, BG (ret.) Assoc. Prof. Dipl. Eng. Boris ĎURKECH, CSc. expressed the SVK AFA gratitude for an opportunity to start cooperation with one of the NATO’s accredited COEs.

To familiarise attendees with the institutions’ business models, several presentations were delivered. Specifically, COL CSASZAR elaborated on the NATO EOD COE vision, mission and tasks that guarantee the Centre’s recognised excellence within NATO and EOD Community of Interest.

As the EOD COE is established on the principles embedded in Memorandum of Understanding of Sponsoring Nations, COL CSASZAR highlighted his mandate/authority and conditions to start cooperation with the academia or military entity in the territory of the Slovak Republic.

Furthermore, representatives of the SVK AFA prof. Peter DROPPA, PhD (Head of Mechanical Engineering Department), MAJ Jaroslav KOMPAN (Department of Military Tactics and Operational Art) and LTC Zsolt PASTOREK (Director of the Simulation centre) briefed  about particular SVK AFA capabilities and ongoing projects. 

Besides presentations, the SVK AFA capabilities introduction was reinforced by guided tour through the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Simulation Centre facilities (e.g. 3D modelling IT room, 3D printing laboratory, constructive simulation workstations), that initiated Q&A and fruitful discussion among representatives of both institutions.

At the end, the visit culminated by signing of the bilateral agreement that determines conditions for future beneficial cooperation between the NATO EOD COE and the SVK AFA.