6th CMDR COE Academic Advisory Board (AAB) Meeting
Date: (21-10-2025)
It has been a busy week at the CMDR COE premises. The 6th CMDR COE Academic Advisory Board (AAB) Meeting was held yesterday, 20 October 2025.
The Academic Advisory Board (AAB) is an independent body that assists the CMDR COE in managing the scientific research and educational activities of the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence.
The AAB consists of highly regarded academics who support the CMDR COE throughout the planning, development, and approval of the CMDR COE Programme of Work (PoW) and projects, as well as the Education and Training Curriculum/Syllabus for courses, workshops, seminars, and conferences within the field of crisis management and disaster response.
The AAB provides methodological guidance to enhance the effectiveness of scientific research, analytical activities, education, and training events. The Board consists of representatives from Bulgaria, as the Hosting Nation of the CMDR COE – Prof. Dr. Nina DOBRINKOVA – and representatives from three of the four Sponsoring Nations: from Poland, Colonel, Assoc. Prof. Dariusz MAJCHRZAK; from Romania, Police Chief Superintendent Florin-Viorel STEFAN; and from Hungary, Colonel Gabor Hangya, who participated in the session online.
Under the chairmanship of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Velizar SHALAMANOV, our distinguished AAB members reviewed the achievements of the CMDR COE through 2025 and adopted a draft for their way ahead until 2028. The agenda focuses on improving cooperation with other COEs and strengthening the overall engagement of the involved countries to enhance their collective resilience.
The workflow is ensured through the skilful coordination of Lieutenant Colonel Margarita KUMANOVA, who remains Secretary of the AAB.
Our work is not yet complete. Today, we continue with the CMDR COE Steering Committee (SC) meeting.
News

CROPPD course was held in CMDR COE between 27 and 31 May 2024 in hybrid mode.
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Representatives from CMDR COE are participating to the 2024 COE Marketplace at NATO HQ in Brussels, 22-23 May 2024.
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Revisiting Crisis Diplomacy: Civilian/Political and Military Dimension Workshop
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CMDR COE in conjunction with the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Incident Policy and Cooperation (NIPC), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the NATO Joint CBRN Defence COE will conduct the Disaster Response and Consequence Management for a Radiological Incident Course from 22 APR to 26 APR 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Representatives from CMDR COE delivered online lectures at the organized by the Egmont Institute a 4-day training activity in Brussels (22-25 April) to facilitate the operationalization of the newly adopted EU HRDDP (Human Rights and Due Diligence Policy on security sector support to third parties).
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Insights from the MSG-221 Initiative: Integrating Science, Security, and Society for Enhanced Crisis Response
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Resilience through Civil Preparedness Course by Civil-Military Cooperation COE
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METT Training Bolsters Military Preparedness Across 14 Nations
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CMDR COE welcomed the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
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Distinguished visit from the Slovenian MFA was paid on the 6th March.
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A two-day session Workshop on Improving disaster risk management understanding was held on 29th and 29th February 2024.
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Department Head for the NATO Business Continuity Management
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Participation in a high-level conference at Tech Park Sofia
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Resilience workshop focused on Public Private Partnership
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Exploring the Interplay of Strategic Communications and Resilience in the Military Context
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Exploring Partnerships for Crisis Management and Disaster Response between Denmark and the Republic of Bulgaria.
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CMDR COE delivered an article on the subject “Refugee Flow Management and Resilience Implications”
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Empowering Leaders with Critical Skills in Crisis Management
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MSG – 221: M&S in Support of Building Resilience and Management of People Mass Movement
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