Hybridisation of specialised English learning for security professionals Erasmus Project

Project Title

Hybridisation of specialised English learning for security professionals

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The project “Hybridisation of specialised English learning for security professionals” (HELPSec) as an interdisciplinary project is necessitated by the need and further incited to implement new IT technologies and up-to-date approaches in the English Language training of security specialists (military and civilian) at partner HEIs, especially in light of the current COVID-19 global crisis. Project partners agree that modernisation, digitalisation, hybridisation, and internationalisation are inseparable in the present-day educational process. Security specialists from the three partner EU and NATO countries – Bulgaria, Portugal, and Sweden – need excellent specialized English vocabulary and terminology as well as communicative skills in order to be interoperable when performing their duties, participating in peacekeeping missions, safeguarding their countries and Europe from hybrid threats and establishing a more secure environment globally.

The OBJECTIVES of the HELPSec project are:
– improving comprehensive specialized English language knowledge and communicative skills of the target group of security specialists through the suggested new form of hybrid English language learning;
– enhancing IT literacy and skills of students and academic staff (lecturers) from the project partner institutions;
– improving the international dimension of education at partner institutions by incorporating geo-educational aspect to the learning process, which encompasses English language learning and culture awareness;
– ensuring collaborative experience of the students and staff involved as well as of the wider audience of the end-users of the project’s outcomes.

The objectives will be achieved by developing four products – IO 1, IO 2, IO 3, IO 4:
1/ developing a new curriculum for a “Hybrid English Language Course for Security Professionals” that meets the specific langauge needs of the target group of the HELPSec project – IO 1;
2/ design, developing, testing and implementing of learning materials – Course Modules (2 from each partner) for the new “Hybrid English Course for Security Professionals” – IO 2;
3/ Collaborative Web-based Learning Platform for Security Professionals – IO 3;
4/ design of an E-book “English Course for Security Professionals” – IO 4.

The expected number of students-participants from the partner institutuions who will be directly involved in the Project is about 2 600 for the period of the duration of the Project. They will not only benefit from its results, but will also ensure the appropriateness and effcitiveness of the newly developed learning materials by trialing and providing feedback to their teachers who will be the IO developers. The directly involved beneficiaries are civilian students, military cadets and adult post-graduate trainees who are majoring in security and defence studies at the partner institutions. In addition, a much wider target group of security professionals from the EU counries will also be able to access the newly-developed learning materials thanks to the established network for cooperation between HEIs in the security sphere (Military Erasmus, BILC, PfP Consortium and others).

The ultimate RESULTS of the HELPSec Project are:
– improved quality of education provided by participating HEIs in line with the EU educational strategy;
– improved quality of education in the security sector on the EU level because all three Project participants as well as future interested partners of the institutions involved in the Project, provide education that is focused on security;
– facilitated transfer of innovative practices, knowledge, expertise and resources, technologies and skills of the partners;
– boosted career opportunities of the end-users of the Project as a result of their improved English language communicative skills;
– raised sense of EU identity and intercultural awareness as a result of the virtual and face-to-face teamwork and mobility of staff and students;
– increased interoperability of security professionals which will allow them to perform their duties globally in times of crises of various nature;
– upgraded cooperation and synergy on multiple levels and in different directions of the Project participants.

The design of an innovative hybrid educational language learning model that serves different target groups of students with different educational background ensures a flexible training schedule thanks to utilisation of Collaborative Web-based Learning Platform resources. The overall positive IMPACT will be a result of a dynamic, digital, and practical learning experience aimed at improving the qualifications of the current and future security specialists.
The envisaged long-term benefits of the HELPSec Project are subsequent to the application of the practical approach which will lead to improved professional quality of the specialists from the security sector and improved national education systems in the partner countries and beyond.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 172614 Eur

Project Coordinator

National Defence College “G. S. Rakovski” & Country: BG

Project Partners

• FORSVARSHOGSKOLAN
• Ministério da Defesa Nacional através do Chefe de Estado-Maior do Exército