Internationalization for enhancing the European Security and Defence Higher Education

Abstract

Internationalization of Higher Education is one of the key trends of development. Security and Defence Education aims to prepare highly specialized military (officers) and civilian personnel who are able to operate in national as well as international environments with colleagues and people of different nationalities and sometimes in a very complex context. For this reason, it is extremely important to strengthen the internationalization process in Higher Education, using traditional and virtual modalities, in order to allow students to develop skills, to create collaborations and networks. This paper answers to the research question what initiatives and policies of internationalization can be developed, and how, in order to enhance the European Security and Defence Higher Education, by analyzing and discussing the intensive internationalization experiences of the University of Turin with the Education and Training Command and School of Applied Military Studies in the last seven academic years at different levels: students, teachers and staff, Institutions. Several data collected during this period allow to understand how the direction of actions has changed, which difficulties were encountered, and which solutions can be found. This research can be considered a useful example for those who want to increase the internationalization of Security and Defence Higher Education especially in this new digital era.