The Military Leadership and Judgement Programme at the Blavatnik School of Government equips soldiers and strategists with skills essential for success. The programme aims to develop ethical awareness and sensitivity to the challenges of war-fighting and prepares participants to train their subordinates in ethical judgment.
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Armed Conflict
Armed forces worldwide confront ethical dilemmas on and off the battlefield, underscoring the urgent need to foster military cultures that balance combat effectiveness with moral and legal standards. In the Military Leadership and Judgement Programme, globally renowned Oxford faculty work with combat leaders to build such cultures, which minimise misconduct risks and enhance battlefield success. The interdisciplinary course of study, drawing on moral philosophy, international relations, psychology, and law, prepares students to evaluate complex scenarios and make the right decisions when the stakes are highest.
The programme is tailored for senior officers and, selectively, junior leaders in strategic roles. Interested organisations anywhere in the world are invited to contact our executive education team for more details about this bespoke programme, offered in partnership with military entities.
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Adapting to Modern Warfare’s Technological and Geostrategic Challenges
Today’s military leaders encounter diverse challenges, from the intense physical and mental demands of combat to the complexities of global politics and unstable governance. This programme is designed to enhance the capacity of military leaders to navigate these challenges with foresight and integrity.
The goals of our programme:
- Strengthen ethical awareness: deepen personnel’s sensitivity to the ethical complexities of military roles, extending beyond conventional rules of engagement.
- Improve cultural leadership: encourage military leaders to critically assess and positively influence the organisational cultures they are tasked with overseeing.
- Develop ethics-training skills: empower leaders to educate their subordinates in ethical judgment by effectively implementing a training-the-trainer approach.
- Fulfil the duty of care in military operations: prevent moral injury and promote sustainable service, ensuring that personnel can perform their duties effectively and ethically over the long term.
The programme is led by Tom Simpson. An associate professor at the Blavatnik School of Government, and senior research Fellow at Wadham College, Dr Simpson spent five years as a Royal Marines Commando officer deployed in Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His academic work spans philosophical issues related to trust, technology, security, and the concept of freedom; he is co-editor of the essay collection The Philosophy of Trust and author of Trust: A Philosophical Study, both published by Oxford University Press. An experienced educator, Dr Simpson teaches courses on public policy, leads executive sessions on integrity in public life, and has been recognised with a Teaching Excellence Award from the University’s Social Sciences Division. He has given evidence to UK Parliamentary committees on topics ranging from drone policy to autonomous weapons and academic freedom.
Elad Uzan is a Departmental Lecturer at the Blavatnik School of Government, as well as a member of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford. He completed his Ph.D. at Tel Aviv University and has been a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School. Previously, he was a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty of Philosophy and a Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy at Corpus Christi College. He was recently awarded the American Philosophical Association’s Baumgardt Memorial Fellowship and will present the Baumgardt Memorial Lectures at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics in 2025.
Exploring Moral Dilemmas in Depth
Participants will deepen their understanding of the complexities of military leadership by examining the military’s role within the broader context of government, navigating conflicting priorities, adapting to emerging international law, and managing the challenges associated with the responsible exercise of force.
A typical day in the programme covers topics essential for modern military leaders. Participants analyse public opinion on the use of military force in Western democracies, examine the risks and transformative potential of AI-driven defense technologies, and confront real-world ethical challenges.
Examples of Programme Modules
Officer Education Residential
The Officer Education Residential (OER) is a five-day course tailored to troop commanders. The course provides intensive grounding in ethics and judgment and covers a broad spectrum of leadership issues. Key topics include governance, rule of law in fragile states, theories of policy change, legitimacy in security policy, grand strategy, and effects of technological innovation. Now in its fifth year, the OER is under consideration for accreditation as an MA module and may in the future be available to all officers in training.
Sub-Unit Commanders’ Residential
Over two intensive days, this course equips commanders with the skills to ethically navigate battlefield operations, uphold legal standards, and foster constructive cultures at the sub-unit level. The goal of the course is to enhance soldiers’ decision-making capabilities under pressure, preparing them to effectively manage tactical challenges and ensuring that they are equipped to lead with integrity and effectiveness in complex environments. This comprehensive training sharpens leadership skills and significantly contributes to personal and professional development, positioning sub-unit chiefs to make a positive impact within their commands and the broader military community.
Psychological Factors Influencing Defence and Security
In high-pressure defense and security environments, decision-making is often far from straightforward. This module explores the psychological factors that influence judgement and action in military contexts. Participants learn strategies to maintain cognitive clarity and mitigate biases so they can make sound decisions under stress. They also learn how psychological factors can be leveraged to improve team performance, leadership effectiveness, and operational outcomes.
Teaching Method
In addition to lectures and seminars delivered by Oxford’s world-class scholars and practitioners, our teaching takes advantage of the case method, immersing participants in complex, real-world decision-making scenarios. This approach not only contextualises learning but also ensures practical applicability, influencing behaviour change. The case method has been proven to sharpen critical thinking and problem-solving skills, increase classroom engagement, and foster much-needed tolerance for ambiguity. Past participants report that the teaching methods deployed in the programme enhance value by encouraging active involvement and facilitating a deeper understanding of course material.