Recognizing the importance of dialogue at the intersection of environmental economics and defense, the International Council on Environmental Economics and Development (ICEED) convened a high-level delegation that met with Italian military officials on December 9, 2024. 

The venue for this crucial discussion was the Center for High Defense Studies (Centro Alti Studi per la Difesa), Italy’s leading national defense university and a Ministry of Defence-endorsed “think hub” focused on education, research, and analysis concerning defense and security challenges.

CASD’s expertise lies in teaching leadership, change management, and soft skills to civilian and military practitioners in the defense administration. It has a student body of around 1,000, hailing from 57 different countries and spanning four continents.

During the recent exchange, representatives from CASD and ICEED highlighted their shared goals in leveraging education to address global challenges, such as energy security, the impact of climate change, artificial intelligence policy, and the role of the media in shaping global public opinion. ICEED and CASD aim to amplify each other’s research outputs through future collaboration.