Academic Work

CIOR Seminar

The seminar serves as a platform for current geopolitical issues with a specific emphasis on the relevance of reservists. It addresses both military and civilian participants with a strong interest in security policy topics.

CIOR Symposium

A one-day symposium on reserve issues is held during the Congress on topical issues of relevance to Reservists from all nations.

About activity

The CIOR Winter Seminar and Annual Symposium, provides engagement with the wider audience about the geopolitical situation in the world. They provide an opportunity to make presentations and studies on topics which will affect the Reservists’ service.

These events attract very high calibre speakers and have a high attendance rate. CIOR supports cooperation with the competence centres of NATO countries in this field, to ensure the coverage of currently relevant topics.
 

The Symposium attracts speakers at the highest political, military and academic levels

The CIOR Symposium is typically held on one day during the week of the Annual Congress and has a topical theme discussed by high level speakers. Recent contributors have seen DSACEUR, 2* and 3* military leaders, Ministers and Diplomats along with their civilian SME counterparts
presenting to an audience of some 500 plus CIOR, CIOMR and CISOR members. 

The speakers address issues such as mobilization and demobilization, readiness of reserve forces, utilization of civilian specialists in a military context, conscription and many more.
 

The annual Seminar takes place in Bonn, Germany

The CIOR Winter Seminar has been widely recognised as an annual high level 2–3-day event that offers top quality speakers discussing highly topical themes related to strategic world issues. Normally having around 50-60 delegates from a multitude of nations.

Seminar themes vary from year to year, depending upon the issues of international affairs that are vital to NATO. 
The event attracts a mixed military and civilian audience and the international panel of expert speakers of diverse backgrounds including military officers, diplomats, and academics from various countries who, along with excellent audience interaction, really develop and debate the topic and ensure no stone is left unturned.

The Seminar was initiated in 1990 out of the need that was felt to address current vital defence and security issues in an academic environment for Reserve Officers to be able to reflect on geopolitical and military developments. 

CIOR had a long collaboration with the Konrad Adenaur Foundation, since 2017 CIOR has established a new partnership with the Gustav Stresemann Institut in Bonn.

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Annual CIOR and CIOMR joint Mid-Winter Meeting (MWM23) in NATO HQ

The Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) in conjunction with The Interallied Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers (CIOMR) will hold a joint Mid-Winter Meeting (MWM23) in Brussels (BEL) during the period 30 January – 03 February 2023.  In...

February 8th: The 2022 CIOR Seminar: ‘North Africa and US-NATO/EU-relations’

Whilst the world is holding its breath for future developments in Ukraine, the rest of the world is not at a stillstand. For instance: North Africa and the Sahel region are trying to come to grips with ongoing political instability, population growth, consequences of...

NATO’s Reserve Officers discuss Threats in the Arctic with international Experts

Is the far north really turning into a new area of conflict as the political rhetoric of recent years suggests? Are the melting ice caps revealing new threats to our security? Last week, NATO’s reserve officers met online to discuss this question with high-ranking...

Rhetoric and perception often exaggerate the reality on the ground

The third and final day of the 2021 CIOR Seminar promised to keep the excitement of the first two days. Two guest speakers shared their views on the Arctic and whether the area is at risk for future conflict or not. By: Mr. Paul Strobel, Officer Cadet, Bundeswehr The...

The Arctic – a geopolitical Hotspot

After a successful first day, anticipation for day two of the 2021 CIOR Seminar ran high. Two exciting talks waited for the participants. Dr. Duncan Depledge, Lecturer in Geopolitics and Security from Loughborough University introduced the CIOR Seminar participants to...

Exciting first Day of CIOR Seminar

With the Coronavirus still looming, the first day of the 2021 CIOR Seminar kicked off online. The chairman of the CIOR Seminar Committee, Lieutenant  Colonel (R) Hans Garrels opened this year’s Seminar, titled “The Arctic: New Area of Conflict?”, with 64 participants...

Sponsorship

Support professional development

CIOR is encouraging capable donors to provide for scholarships to the participants of our activities.

CIOR is supporting the training of reserve leaders, and collecting and sharing best practices, especially developing skillsets.
CIOR has 8 activities with partisipants from 34 different countries.
 

Funds may be donated to:

  • Support participants from a particular Nation
  • Support a particular individual
  • Support a particular activity 
  • Support CIOR in general