The third edition of the Mastère Spécialisé en gestion des risques et menaces NRBCE (Master’s in CBRNE Risk and Threat Management) was officially launched today under the framework of the European Union (EU) Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative, Project 107 – MANA 2.
The opening ceremony was hosted at the Université Internationale de Rabat, with welcoming remarks delivered by:
Mr. Hakim Tazi, Director General of Continuing Education, Université Internationale de Rabat
Mr. Antonio Casado Ortega, Security and Counter-Terrorism Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to Morocco
Mr. Alain Dieterlen, Vice-President for Education and Student Life, Université de Haute-Alsace
Colonel Hafid Messaoudi, Head of the African Atlantic Façade CBRN Regional Secretariat
This was followed by a presentation of the programme by Colonel Denis Giordan, academic coordinator of the Master’s, and an introduction of the participants representing their respective countries.
A unique regional initiative
As with the two previous editions, participants were selected through a rigorous process involving an online preparatory phase, written and oral examinations. This year, 25 candidates from 11 African countries were admitted.
A key feature of this third edition is the expansion of participation beyond the African Atlantic Façade region. For the first time, candidates from the Eastern and Central Africa (ECA) Secretariat (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda) and the North Africa and Sahel (NAS) Secretariat (Tunisia) are taking part, strengthening cross-regional collaboration.
Countries represented in this year’s cohort:
• Benin
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Mauritania
• Morocco
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• Togo
• Tunisia
Why capacity building matters
The growing use and circulation of CBRN materials — driven by rapid industrialisation, globalised trade, and technological development — has intensified risks worldwide, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate. Recent devastating events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut port explosion, and industrial accidents, underline the critical need for preparedness. African partner countries are not exempt, regularly facing CBRN-related emergencies, from epidemics to chemical accidents, with nuclear development also becoming a pressing concern in some regions.
Training is therefore a decisive tool for prevention and effective crisis response. While many EU Member States have established academic programmes in the CBRN field, no equivalent specialised degree existed in Africa until the launch of this Master’s. The programme fills this critical gap by equipping institutional and private sector professionals with a broad, cross-cutting, and specialised vision of CBRN risk management.
Background information
Project 107 (MANA 2), implemented in partnership with the Université de Haute-Alsace within the framework of the European Union (EU) Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE), aims to develop a strong pool of African experts capable of managing, anticipating, mitigating and responding effectively to CBRN threats. The Master’s programme is tailored to address major local challenges and combines the expertise of African and European specialists.
The EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Risk Mitigation Initiative is a global Initiative funded and implemented by the European Union as part of its goal to promote peace, stability and conflict prevention.
The aim of the Initiative is to mitigate risks and strengthen an all-hazards security governance in Partner Countries of the EU following a voluntary and demand-driven approach. The EU support is provided to implement a wide range of CBRN risk mitigation activities including needs and risk assessments, national and regional action plans, capacity building activities, legal framework reviews, table-top and real-time (including cross-border) field exercises, inter-regional exchange of best practices and lessons learnt.
The Initiative is led by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI), in close coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS). The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides technical support to Partner Countries, while the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) ensures a coherent and effective national, regional and international cooperation. Other relevant International and/or Regional Organisations and experts also contribute to the Initiative, which represents the EU’s largest civilian external security programme.