Conference: Understanding Cognitive Superiority

While "cognitive superiority" has emerged as a central concept in military academic discourse, research on it remains strategically fragmented. This conference seeks to develop the field by examining the operational and professional dimensions of cognition – specifically how learning, adaptation, and professional judgement create decision advantage in modern, technologically mediated battle.

Rather than focusing on how cognition is contested, the conference will develop the concept of cognitive superiority by asking how decision advantage, learning capacity, and professional judgement are produced and governed under conditions of speed, uncertainty, and technological mediation.

The discussion is organised around four core themes.

The four themes

Cognitive Superiority Examining conflict as a contest between adaptive systems, and how tempo, orientation, and coherence shape operational outcomes. Focus areas include command-and-control theory, OODA logic, and dynamic decision-making.

Learning and Adaptation Treating learning not as a post-hoc institutional function, but as a central operational mechanism. Focus areas include learning speed, feedback loops, and adaptation under pressure across individual, tactical, organisational, and institutional levels.

Professional Judgement Exploring how the officer's role is transformed – rather than diminished – by accelerated decision cycles and human–machine systems. Topics include trust, authority, responsibility, and ethical coherence within human–machine decision systems.

PME and Institutional Design Designing professional military education for cognitive manoeuvre rather than procedural compliance. Papers address educational design, experimentation, simulation, and the integration of emerging technologies in PME.

Registration deadline

Saturday 15 August 2026

Contact

Assoc. Prof. K. Enstad Section for Land Power Studies, Norwegian Military Academy
Email: kenstad@mil.no