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NDU Building

NDU develops joint warfighters and other national security leaders through rigorous academics, research and engagement to serve the common defense.

Vision and Mission

MISSION: NDU educates joint Warfighters in critical thinking and the creative application of military power to inform national strategy and globally integrated operations, under conditions of disruptive change, in order to conduct war. 

VISION: NDU will create strategic advantage by developing joint warfighters and other national security leaders and forging relationships through whole-of-nations and whole-of-government educational programs, research and engagement.

PURPOSE: "Educating, Developing and Inspiring National Security Leaders."

  • Education is our business
  • National security is the focus of our business
  • Leaders are the essence of our business

GUIDING PRINCIPLES: The following principles shape the culture of NDU. 

  • Academic Excellence: NDU shall always foster and promote scholarly distinction in its work and its people.
  • Academic Freedom: NDU shall always foster and protect free expression and open intellectual exchange based on responsible professionalism.
  • Diversity: NDU shall always embrace a mixture of people, culture, and ideas.
  • Integrity: NDU shall always foster and promote a culture of trust, honesty, and ethical conduct.
  • Growth: NDU shall always foster and promote an environment that nurtures individual intellectual development and physical well-being and encourages life-long learning.
  • Collaboration: NDU shall always foster collaborative, transparent, and inclusive processes and decision-making activities consistent with legal lines of authority and accountability.