La 245e he IHEDN regional session was inaugurated at the Prefecture of Nîmes, marking the start of four intense weeks of strategic training and discovery. Welcomed by the Prefect, Jérôme Bonet, and then by Lieutenant General Yves Métayer, General Officer of the Southern Defence and Security Zone, the auditors, from a variety of professional backgrounds, began their immersion at the heart of contemporary defence and national security issues.
The programme for this first week laid the foundations for in-depth reflection, with an overview of national defence and its institutions, as well as the contemporary world. A presentation of France's defence strategy, and lectures on the Occitanie region in figures by Insee, and on the issues and challenges facing the French Navy in the region.
In addition to the lectures, the audience also got to know key players in the fields of safety and research during a number of high-profile visits. In particular, they were able to visit the civil protection air force, the CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique) and the ENSP (École nationale supérieure de la police).
These four weeks are shaping up to be a key period of training and reflection, combining theoretical contributions and field experience, to give participants a better understanding of contemporary strategic challenges and enable them to make their own contribution to national defence and security.
