Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Military education experts from across Europe and partner nations gathered in Sarajevo from March 3–5, 2026, to address a growing challenge: how to sustain training and education systems during times of crisis and conflict. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, brought together 37 participants from 17 nations under the Partnership for Peace Consortium’s Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Working Group.

The three-day meeting focused on strengthening the resilience of military training systems, particularly in the face of infrastructure disruption and large-scale conflict. Central to the discussions was the “Train While We Fight” initiative, which examined how defense institutions can continue operating under wartime conditions. Participants analyzed scenarios ranging from large-scale mobilization to the loss of national training infrastructure, revealing gaps in contingency planning despite general confidence in institutional capabilities.

A key highlight was Ukraine’s presentation, which detailed how its digital learning systems have supported more than 120,000 users despite repeated power outages and attacks on infrastructure. The case underscored the strategic importance of robust and adaptable training platforms in modern warfare, reinforcing the urgency of the working group’s efforts.

The meeting also showcased emerging tools designed to enhance cooperation and capability development among allied and partner nations. These included the eLearning Sharing Catalog, aimed at facilitating cross-border access to training resources, and the Defense Training Resilience Maturity Model, a framework to assess and improve institutional preparedness. Participants identified technical and organizational challenges but expressed strong interest in further development and implementation.

Artificial intelligence was another focal point, as experts քննարկed its rapidly expanding role in military education. While widely adopted by instructors, AI tools currently lack consistent governance frameworks, raising concerns about data security, content validation, and appropriate use in assessments. As the conference concluded, participants agreed on a series of follow-up actions, signaling a continued push toward more resilient, collaborative, and technologically advanced military training systems.

You can learn more about the ADL working group here.