Security challenges have the potential to undermine the security of the European Union (EU) and the very values that underpin and inspire its societies. The EU must be committed to address these challenges with all available means to support improved awareness, strengthen resilience and build the required capacity. Citizens need to have a clear understanding of the risks and threats affecting the security, resilience and sustainability of their societies, including the smaller and larger communities to which they belong. The term Hybrid Warfare (HW) first appeared in 2005. The concept of hybrid warfare subsequently evolved to cover a multitude of actors, strategies and actions. Overcoming a uniquely military-centred point of view is at the core of HW as it takes advantage of the disunity within organisations of political entities and from the absence of a hegemon in international relations. Our geographically diverse partnership recognises the responsibility of higher education institutions in contributing to stable societies.

The aim of the project is to provide a conceptual framework for a better understanding of current and most likely future conflicts to a variety of key national stakeholders, ranging from government to civic society. This requires a comprehensive academic and professional curriculum aimed at enhancing situational and contextual awareness and in particular, the anticipated consequences of such conflicts. The project accords with the clear requirement of the security studies institutions to become more familiar with the complexities associated with HW and to initiate a consolidated familiarisation with a refined appreciation of the disparate risks associated with HW. In terms of foreign and defence policy postures and capabilities, it is essential for EU members to foster a culture of common appreciation,, allowing for a wider understanding and dissemination of knowledge and to support the crafting of common responses to HW. The failure to address issues ranging from definitions and lexicon to the mechanics of force or policy posture can be detrimental to EU members’ ability to work collaboratively, especially in periods of high tension and crisis. The intention behind the development of the project is to provide common lecture material for civilian, police and military higher education institutions to address a significant number of issues associated with the policy and operations of most forms of HW.

Students will gain:

• a better appreciation of how HW impacts today’s modern military forces, in terms of doctrine, force structure, armaments, operations, command and control and training. They will acquire an insight into the non-military aspects of HW, ranging from information and cyberattacks on critical network infrastructure to the nexus of public health and national security in response to the malicious use of life sciences and artificial intelligence.
• a more nuanced understanding of how some HW acts intend to destabilise communities and society, from the instigation of alternative news narratives to inciting community violence and criminality.
• a deeper understanding of the decision-making process generated by HW across a myriad of sectors. They will benefit from immersion in risk analysis, pursue crisis management case studies to better appreciate the likely impact on their equities and take advantage of simulation exercises to reinforce the contextual and situational awareness.

The developed Hybrid Warfare curriculum, methodology and MOOC will allow blended (physical and virtual) learning methods for accredited university classes, but also allows for mass online learning, thus reaching a much wider audience.