General aims of the Project were: 1. Development of an international, Master level, 60 ECTS Curriculum on Tackling Hybrid Threats; 2. To promote the highest opportunities for co-operation in research, education and interoperability to combat hybrid threats and their consequences through common training standards. 3. To be a pioneer in the development of academic competence in the field of hybrid threats with a view to the European Union. 4. To protect and promote the field of internal security as a whole. 5. To provide officials deployed in the European internal security area with a broad knowledge for professional decision-making in a hybrid context, equipping them with the skills and competencies acquired to analyze and solve problems through up-to-date training. 6. To transfer evidence-based knowledge developed in formal academic and disciplinary structures by providing a stimulating and innovative environment for teaching, learning and research. 7. To enable current and future leaders in the field of EU internal security to use practices and theory in tackling hybrid threats and to encourage further development in this field. All objectives have been successfully achieved.
During the development of the EEAS Training Requirement Analysis (TRA) on hybrid threats and cyber, it became evident that the knowledge derived from this assessment had broader applications. The ever-evolving security landscape necessitates the wider dissemination of knowledge on hybrid threats. While certain specialties related to handling hybrid threats are taught at universities across EU Member States (MS) and in applied law enforcement and defense training institutions, these studies often have a military orientation or are limited in scope, with only a fraction of the curriculum openly accessible. Hybrid attacks have the potential to paralyze society at various levels, whether national or regional. Within the EU, there is a shared recognition of the challenges posed by hybrid threats. Consequently, the creation of a joint international master’s program in internal security became imperative.