Washington, DC - June 2016 - As part of bilateral military collaboration between the U.S. and Serbia, Cyber Defense Analyst Dragan Mladenovic of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff began taking courses in 2012 at the National Defense University Information Resources Management College (NDU iCollege), a U.S. Department of Defense educational institution. Two years later, after international enrollment formalities were finalized, including completion of a language certificate and approvals within his own Ministry of Defese, Mladenovic enrolled in the NDU iCollege’s Master of Science Degree Program. On Thursday, June 9, 2016, Mladenovic graduated with a Master’s Degree in Government Information Leadership (concentration in Cyber Security) during an NDU celebration at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.
The NDU iCollege’s MS in Government Information Leadership (GIL) offers concentrations mirroring the college’s graduate certificate programs (Cyber Security, Cyber Leadership, Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Program Management, and Enterprise Architecture). The iCollege mission is to educate and prepare selected military and civilian leaders and advisors to develop and implement cyberspace strategies, and to leverage information and technology to advance national and global security.
When asked why he chose the NDU iCollege to complete a degree, Mladenovic stated, “I knew that NDU is the key academic institution in the US DoD education system and I was honored to learn there. During my first stay, I asked around about which NDU college provides science and technology based knowledge and all answers pointed to iCollege. I knew that the iCollege program was the best place to find the cyber education that I needed for my job and my country. The iCollege faculty and leaders were always professional, knowledgeable, kind, and helpful.
iCollege programs are modern, high quality and relevant. NDU is a leading academic US DoD institution and an important institution both nationally and internationally.”
In addition to his studies, as an international student attending NDU, Mladenovic took advantage of his educational assignment to the Washington, DC area by visiting numerous museums and institutions in D.C. as well as in Philadelphia and New York. During his time touring U.S. monuments, Mladenovic noted that he came across “valuable quotes and lessons from famous Americans and noticed that they are quite similar, sometimes even the same as what I was taught by my father and his father before him. It occurred to me that the Serbian and American nations, just like many other nations for that matter, are not so different. The feeling of good is deeply rooted in all men. Our goal as humans is to strive and work for achievement.“
In the future, Dragan Mladenovic intends to continue working in the field of cyber security and defense. He discussed his wish to play a part in continued cyber development, especially through research of models for establishing sustainable national cyber security and defense systems. Mladenovic states that he “will attempt to become a fellow of an international think-tank in the field of cyber security, and I feel my NDU education will play an important part in this respect. I am happy for having the opportunity to learn about cyber security in an environment which is world leader in this field. I will always proudly point out my NDU degree.”
Mladenovic lives and work in Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Serbia. He attended the Military Technical Academy and obtained his first Master’s Degree in mechanical engeneering. During the 20 years of his career, Mladenovic worked in elite units of the Serbian Army, spending most of his time at the Honor Guard of the Serbian Army. More recently, Mladenovic has been working at the Serbian Army General Staff in the Directorate for Telecommunications and Informatics (J-6). He is currently working on a PhD in Serbia, and is married with one son.
International students at the NDU iCollege must meet eligibility criteria to apply, including holding a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent and ranking at the GS-13/O4 level or above. They must also be an employee of their country’s Ministry of Defense or equivalent agency, and pass an English language comprehension exam. Potential international students should work through their Security Assistance Office in their home country’s U.S. embassy. Courses at the iCollege are completed on campus and/or online. For more information contact the Office of Student Services at iCollegeOSS@ndu.edu or visit the website at http://icollege.ndu.edu.