Training Courses

ZIF offers three types of training courses:

• Core Courses Peace Operations
• Election Observation Courses
• Specialization Courses

The aim of all courses is preparation for future deployment in peace operations. ZIF neither conducts purely academic trainings nor do its training courses substitute professional experience or vocational training. ZIF trainings are a combination of theory, practical know-how, and interactive simulations of fieldwork scenarios.

Most trainers in ZIF courses are practitioners from the field, who have been involved in peace operations or are currently assigned to a mission. Thus, they are able to provide first hand examples of the daily challenges of international peace operations. The principal attributes of the ZIF training course are field applicability and relevance.

The scope of the specialization courses is constantly adapting, in close co-operation with the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and particularly the European Union (EU), to meet the ever changing needs of these organisations. ZIF maintains a close working relationship with other international training institutions worldwide and is a member of various training networks seeking to further enhance and develop civilian crisis management training.

While the courses target both German and international participants, only German nationals are able to become members of ZIF expert pool and thus are eligible to be seconded.

Methodology

The aim of all ZIF trainings is to foster the mutual understanding and cooperation of the different actors in the field – civilian, police and military – through an integrated training concept.

The courses follow a participatory approach and include lectures, discussions, case studies, group work, simulations, role plays and field exercises. ZIF seeks to create a learning environment that encourages interaction between participants with diverse experiences, professional skills, and nationalities. ZIF therefore pays particular attention to the heterogeneity of the training audience.

All trainers and resource persons are practitioners and the majority has experience working in peace operations in the field or at headquarter level.

Course Language

Unless stated otherwise, all courses are held in English. Currently, only the “First Aid in the Field” course is conducted in German.

Course Fees

Course fees vary depending on the course. The fee includes all training course materials, accommodation and meals at the training site. Since one of the goals of the ZIF trainings is to promote exchange of experiences among the participants from different fields and provide the opportunity for networking, ZIF encourages all participants to stay at the training site. Discounts will not be given to participants who choose to find private accommodation.

Please note that course fees must be paid 2 weeks in advance and are not reimbursable. Participants are required to make arrangements for their own health insurance for the duration of the course and are requested to sign a liability waiver before the course starts. ZIF is currently not able to offer scholarships to training applicants and does not reimburse any travel expenses.

Please consult the ZIF Training Course Overview for more information on the course fees.

Training Locations

Unless otherwise indicated, ZIF training courses take place in Berlin. Please consult the ZIF Training Course Overview for the location of each course.

Application for Training Courses

All applications are processed online through our database. Detailed instructions are given in the ZIF Training Course Overview.

As of December 1, 2010