Chris Donnelly
Chris Donnelly is the Senior Fellow at the Defence Academy. He joined the Defence Academy in August 2003 and heads the Advanced Research and Assessment Group.
The Defence Academy, formed in April 2002, is a military and academic community that provides professional and personal development to some 11,600 students per year. The vision for the Academy is that it will be an internationally renowned source of education, training, research and innovative thinking in strategic studies, operational art, leadership, management, and the application of technology in defence.
Chris graduated from Manchester University in 1969. From 1970 to 1993 he served as a reserve officer in the British Territorial Army. He worked for 20 years at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, initially as an instructor in Russian and Soviet studies, and from 1973 as a member of the Soviet Studies Research Centre, which body he headed from 1979 until 1989. Between 1989 and 2003, Chris was special adviser on Central and Eastern Europe to four NATO Secretaries General.
Chris has published numerous articles on Russian and Soviet military and political issues. He is the author of Red Banner - the Soviet Military System in Peace and War [1988]. His current major interest is in improving collaboration between East and Western defence and security establishments, and improving governance to deal with new security challenges.