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Published on 20 December 2023

Military Psychology and Military Pedagogics

The Department of Military Psychology and Pedagogics deals with the research and teaching of the psychological aspects of personnel selection, training and leadership in the military.
The Department develops and applies procedures for leadership selection, and improves these procedures further based on its practical experience and scientific findings. The Department explores what, fundamentally, motivates members of the armed forces in order to be able to design the best approaches for military training and leadership recruitment. By defining what we value in our military, we are able to provide a basis for the design of military training content and our organisational culture.
Finally, with a view to the stresses and strains of everyday military life and deployment, the Department examines individuals’ mental prerequisites and coping mechanisms. The focus here is on assessing and improving resilience. Through its activities at the interface between science and practice, the Department helps to create the best possible conditions for our military to fulfil its missions.

Prof. Dr. Hubert Annen

1985–1990 Teacher 1990–1996 Study of psychology, education and neuropsychology at the University of Zurich 1996–1999 Lecturer for leadership at the Technikum Winterthur 1996–1999 Research assistant in the Department for Leadership and Communication at MILAK; doctorate on personnel evaluation 1996–date Head of research at the Assessment Centre for Prospective Career Officers (ACABO) 1999–date Lecturer for military psychology and education at MILAK 2003–date Executive member of the International Military Testing Association (IMTA) 2007/2008 Research stay at the University of South Florida, Tampa 2007–2012 President of Arbeitskreis Assessment Centre Schweiz (Swiss Assessment) 2008–2013 Head of research and teaching at MILAK 2010–date Scientific Head of the Assessment Centre for Prospective Military Attachés (ACAVA) and the Assessment Centre for Prospective General Staff Officers (AC Gst Of) 2012–date Scientific Head of the Assessment Centre for Prospective Career Officers (ACABU) 2014-2015 Visiting professor at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point/NY

MSc Chantal Utzinger

Chantal Utzinger has been working as project researcher at the department Military Psychology and Military Education since Februar 2018. She supports the research project «Army Resilience Training» and participates in the research project «Ready». In January 2018, she completed her Master's degree in Psychology at the University of Zurich.

Dr. Philippe Goldammer

2016 – now Research assistant 2015 – 2018 Doctoral student 2012 – 2016 Collaborator in the project "evaluation of the cadre selection tools" 2011 – 2012 Internship at the MILAC 2005 – 2011 Study of psychology, psychopathology and criminology