The objectives of the European Common Technical Semester for Defence and Security (EuCTS_DS) project are the development, testing and designing of a new modular curriculum for an international technical semester for defence and security, at bachelor level, common at European Union, and also the development of a network of teachers with competences in the field of technical systems for defence and security. The project idea comes in the frame of European initiative for the exchange of young officers inspired by Erasmus, often referred to as "military Erasmus" (EMILYO, http://www.emilyo.eu/), that is an initiative undertaken by the European Union Member States aimed at developing the exchanges between armed forces of future military officers as well as their teachers and instructors during their initial education and training. All the member institutions of the project are accredited as state higher education institutions of the national Ministry of Defence from each country, integrated into their national education systems, having among their missions the objective to prepare the future engineer officers in the field of engineering sciences: Military Technical Academy ”Ferdinand I” , Bucharest, Romania (MTA Bucharest), Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland (WAT Warsaw) , the Faculty of Artillery, Air Defence and Communication and Information System from Shumen of ”Vasil Levski” National Military University Bulgaria (NMU Bulgaria), Hellenic Air Force Academy Attika, Athens, Greece (HAFA Athens) and Air Force Academy Salon de Provence, France (FAFA Salon de Provence). The main activities of the project are organized in 9 work packages: WP1 Project management and implementation (planning, implementation, evaluation and dissemination activities, under the coordination of MTA Bucharest, based on a general work plan and action plans agreed during meetings and phone/video conferences or e-mail communication); WP2 - Professional Network in the Field of Technical Systems for Defence and Security (developed professional networks of teachers and researchers for basic engineering, military science for engineers, mechanical and aerospace engineering, electronic and computer science engineering, resulting finally a pool of lecturer); WP3 - International Technical Semester Curriculum Development (curriculum with common subjects at EU in the field of technical systems for defence and security); WP4 - International Technical Semester Subjects Description (detailed description for each subject included in the curriculum); WP5 - Preparation of Education Materials (course support and applications prepared to be used during the learning/teaching activities in the frame of the international semester); WP6 - Interdisciplinary Scientific Project Preparation (teaching activity included in the international semester using the project based learning methodology, assuring the competencies in different engineering branches); WP7 - E-learning Platform (modern tool used to share learning materials and to support the teaching/learning activities in the international semester); WP8 - Teaching/Learning Activities for Testing the International Technical Semester (Intensive Study Programmes organized in order to test the curriculum, subject description, learning materials and e-learning platform prepared for the international semester); WP9 - Impact and Dissemination (dissemination activities organized to share the project results, including two multiplier events). The EuCTS_DS outputs are international technical semester curriculum, descriptions for each subject included in the curriculum, methodology for the interdisciplinary project, e-books with educational materials for the international technical semester curriculum, guide for the international technical semester implementation, network of teachers with competences in technical systems for defence and security, electronic platform for e-learning, DVD with the project results. The EuCTS_DS outcomes consist in developing the new competences and knowledge for the students, but also for the teachers, increasing the interest of the students and teachers in taking part in international activities, increasing the visibility and the national and international recognition of the members of the project consortium, increasing the level of the academic results of the students, authentic learning. The interdisciplinary approach of the EuCTS_DS will provide to the teachers and students a wider perspective over the field technical systems for defence and security, and will enhance their skills in the area of didactical and pedagogical methods. The EuCTS_DS will facilitate further development of partnerships in the field of teacher and student mobility between the partner universities. The nature of the lectures and the broad spectrum of teachers will provide new links and opportunities for new joint degree study programs.
The goals of the European Common Technical Semester for Defence and Security (EuCTSDS) project was the development, designing and testing of a new modular curriculum for an international technical semester for defence and security, at bachelor level, common at European Union, and also the development of a network of teachers with competences in the field of technical systems for defence and security. The main objectives of the project were: - to design and develop a new European common technical semester curriculum, in the field of defence and security; - to create a network of teachers in the field of technical systems for defence and security; - to elaborate the subjects description for the new international technical semester; - to elaborate the education materials for the new international technical semester; - to elaborate a methodology of the organization and of the evaluation of the interdisciplinary scientific project, using the project based learning method;
The idea of the project was born in the frame of European Initiative for the Exchange of Young Officers Inspired by Erasmus (EMILYO), an initiative undertaken by the European Union member states aimed at developing the exchanges between armed forces of future military officers as well as their teachers and instructors during their initial education and training. One of the Lines of Developments of the EMILYO is dedicated to the International Technical Semester (LoD-13), officially started in 2019 and having as objectives the development of a common international semester for the future engineers acting in the field of defence and security systems. The main issues identified are the lack of offers with classes taught in English for military students in the engineering branches. From that reason for students coming from military technical academies or from technical faculties of the military academies is very difficult to find options to improve their competencies and to have international experiences in a fully recognized context. Sometimes, they can take part in international semester organized in civilian universities, but without military components, or to take part in internships for preparing their final project diploma.