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Mission to Estonia and Finland for the Digital Sovereignty and Cybersecurity major

From 12 to 19 May, students in the Digital Sovereignty and Cybersecurity (SNC) major at the IHEDN national session visited Estonia and Finland. This mission enabled the auditors to become more aware of cyber and digital issues and to gain a better understanding of the new geopolitical configuration of the two countries, imposed by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Les auditeurs de la majeure SNC de la session nationale de l'IHEDN devant le Parlement estonien

The trip to Estonia gave the 46 auditors an opportunity to explore a number of aspects, including Estonian defence policy, the country's cyber landscape, Estonia's contribution to collective Euro-Atlantic defence, the digital transformation of Estonian institutions and society, and security issues in cyberspace.

Le député Kalev Stoicescu, président de la commission de la défense du Parlement estonien, et le préfet Nicolas Basselier, directeur adjoint de l’IHEDN.
MP Kalev Stoicescu, Chairman of the Estonian Parliament's Defence Committee, and Prefect Nicolas Basselier, Deputy Director of the IHEDN.

The programme included presentations and visits to several key institutions, such as the Estonian Ministry of Defence, the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association, the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, Cyber Range 14 and the Estonian Information System Authority of the Ministry of Defence, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) and the Estonian Parliament.

Tuuli Duneton, sous-secrétaire d’État estonienne en charge de la politique de défense, a livré en français son analyse de la situation géopolitique du pays.
Tuuli Duneton, Estonian Under-Secretary of State for Defence Policy, gave her analysis of the country's geopolitical situation in French.
Allar Vallaots, directeur de l’exploitation du Cyber Range 14 du ministère de la Défense estonien.
Allar Vallaots, Chief Operating Officer of Cyber Range 14 at the Estonian Ministry of Defence.
The auditors in front of the Estonian Ministry of Defence.

The participants also paid tribute to the Estonian victims of communism during the period 1940-1991.

La délégation de l’IHEDN dépose une gerbe en hommage aux victimes estoniennes du communisme.
The IHEDN delegation laid a wreath in tribute to the Estonian victims of communism.

This first part of the mission was organised in close collaboration with the services of the French Embassy in Estonia, headed by Ambassador Emmanuel Mignot, and in particular Lieutenant-Colonel Frédéric Contal, Defence Attaché (French Air Force).

Des autorités estoniennes et représentants de l’IHEDN autour de l’ambassadeur de France en Estonie, Emmanuel Mignot (4e en partant de la gauche).
Estonian authorities and IHEDN representatives around the French ambassador to Estonia, Emmanuel Mignot (4th from left).

Students in the CNS major then crossed the Baltic Sea by ferry to Finland to learn about the new challenges in the fight against hybrid threats. The programme highlighted the country's defence and security model, the fight against disinformation and the consequences of Finland's recent integration into NATO.

Les auditeurs de la majeure SNC à la Finnish National Defence University.
The SNC major at the Finnish National Defence University.

Cyber and digital issues were also addressed during presentations and visits to institutions such as the Finnish National Defence University and the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats. They also visited the Civil Defence Shelter in Merihaka, near Helsinki. They were also able to discuss these issues with various experts (National Emergency Supply Agency, National Cyber Security Centre) and Finnish parliamentarians, including the Chairman of the Defence Committee.

Le vice-amiral d’escadre (2S) Henri Schricke (à droite), chef de la majeure SNC, remercie deux représentants du National Cyber Security Center finlandais pour leurs présentations.
Vice-Admiral (2S) Henri Schricke (right), Head of the SNC Major, thanks two representatives from the Finnish National Cyber Security Centre for their presentations.
Les auditeurs écoutent différents experts finlandais leur tracer un panorama de la cybersécurité dans le pays.
The audience listens to various Finnish experts give an overview of the country's cybersecurity situation.
Three French MPs who audited the SNC major pose with their Finnish counterparts. From left to right: MP Aleksi Jäntti, Senator Vanina Paoli-Gagin, MP Sabine Thillaye, MP Anna-Kristiina Mikkonen, MP Virginie Duby-Muller and MP Jukka Kopra, Chairman of the Finnish Parliament's Defence Committee.
Visite de l’abri de la défense civile de Merihaka, près d’Helsinki.
Visit to the civil defence shelter at Merihaka, near Helsinki.

This second part of the mission was organised in close collaboration with the services of the French Embassy in Finland, headed by Ambassador Agnès Cukierman, and in particular Lieutenant-Colonel Claire Bertaux (French Air Force), Defence Attaché.

Prefect Nicolas Basselier, Deputy Director of the IHEDN, and the French Ambassador to Finland, Agnès Cukierman.
La délégation de l’IHEDN dans le centre-ville d’Helsinki, la capitale finlandaise.
The IHEDN delegation in the city centre of Helsinki, the Finnish capital.

These visits to Estonia and Finland strengthen the bilateral ties between France and these countries, while consolidating the auditors' knowledge of contemporary challenges in cybersecurity and hybrid threats.

IHEDN

The Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defence

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