MILCON 2026: William Lyons, VP for Distance Education, Delivers Keynote

It was a tremendous honor to deliver the keynote address at the MILCON '26 Conference at the Military Academy General Mihailo Aplostolski in Skopje, North Macedonia.

I presented my research article, PREPARING FUTURE NATO MILITARY LEADERS FOR HYBRID WARFARE: PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, to representatives from 10 countries and 200 participants. My presentation addressed the pressing need for professional military education to address the educational requirements for operating in complex environments in the cognitive domain.

We must supply future leaders with competencies including epistemic humility, intellectual and emotional resilience, and tools for values-based decision making in conditions of great uncertainty. We must train future leaders to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Thanks to the Norwich University Academic Research Office and Norwich University Online for supporting this effort to build deep connections with our partners and allies in Europe.