National Defense University - International Student Management Office

The National Defense University (NDU) is the nation’s preeminent joint institution for education, research and out-reach in national and international security.

Established in 1976, NDU is dedicated to educating, developing and inspir-ing national security leaders.


ISMO is responsible for building international partnership with and among the international students at NDU. Our mission is to foster joint security cooperation and understanding with the International Fellows, with a special focus on a shared understanding of universal human rights.  To fulfill this objective, ISMO manages academic and outreach programs, including maintaining an extensive network of NDU graduates around the world.

About the National Defense University:

VISION: NDU will be the premier national security institution focused on advanced joint education, leader development and scholarship.

MISSION: National Defense University (NDU) supports the joint warfighter by providing rigorous Joint Professional Military Education to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and select others in order to develop leaders that have the ability to operate and creatively think in an unpredictable and complex world.

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.