The consortium formed by the New Strategy Center, the Western University of Timișoara and the Academy of Land Forces "Nicolae Bălcescu" in Sibiu was selected by the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO in the call for projects entitled "Increasing Societal Resilience: Innovative Ways to Counter Disinformation and Hostile Information Activities", which aims to increase the resilience of NATO states in the face of disinformation campaigns.

The "Investments in a Safer Future" project, of the mentioned consortium, is among the declared winning proposals and will be carried out until the end of this year. It will bring together young cadets from the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy in Sibiu and students from several faculties of the Western University in Timișoara in several activities aimed at evaluating both the level of knowledge regarding NATO activity and of the degree of permeability to some narratives that are part of the disinformation campaigns that want to undermine trust in democratic values ​​and cohesion at NATO level. Young people of the same age, but with different professional concerns, will be able to share information through which they can better recognize fake news and hostile propaganda actions, in an interactive setting that will help them develop a critical apparatus and raise awareness the origin and objectives of disinformation campaigns.

At the same time, this project is also an example of cooperation between the civilian and military academic environment, but also between the academic environment and the area of ​​non-governmental expertise, to increase societal resilience in the face of informational aggression, especially in the segment of the young generation.

Through this project, the New Strategy Center, the Western University of Timișoara and the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy in Sibiu want to contribute to the training of future leaders in the civil and military area by disseminating information on NATO's contribution to increasing the security of Romania and the entire Flanc Eastern, investments in the field of defense are in fact investments in a safer future, which will ensure prosperity and security for our region.

The initiative is a pilot project in which a peer-to-peer educational model can be implemented and will focus on NATO's political and communication priorities, according to a strategy adapted for the younger generation. Among the objectives of the project, we mention:

– the development of innovative educational materials adapted to the ever-changing digital environment, in a manner suitable for a young audience;

– the involvement of students in reaching other students on topics of great strategic relevance, which are the target of disinformation actions;

– improving the current expertise in communication with the next generation;

– encouraging relationships between future practitioners and experts;

– emphasizing the importance of the NATO-EU relationship, the sustainable transatlantic link and allied solidarity;

- informing the young generation about NATO's role in guaranteeing stability and prosperity in the Black Sea region;

– the acquisition by the students participating in the project of advanced critical skills and useful knowledge in detecting and countering propaganda, fake news and information manipulation.

Interactive workshop with students from civil and military universities

The fourth stage of the "Investments in a Safer Future" project, organized by the consortium formed by the New Strategy Center, the Western University of Timișoara and the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy, was successfully held in Timișoara.

The workshop facilitated by the young cadets for students from Timișoara took place on Saturday, December 11, when cadets from the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy held a training session for students from the Western University of Timișoara, this being a the fourth stage of the project. In the first two stages, questionnaires were applied to the target group from the Western University of Timișoara, followed by a focus group in which the topics were deepened. Then, in the third stage of the initiative, the young military students from Sibiu were trained to facilitate a transfer of useful knowledge to their colleagues in Timișoara.

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With a training curriculum developed based on the initial strategy, the needs identified following the questionnaire stage and from the focus group, the cadet trainers from the Land Forces Academy learned alongside the young people from the Western University of Timișoara information and acquired tools to counter disinformation and fake news. The exchange between the military and the civilian environment took place in an unconventional format, through theoretical material and interactive exercises alike.

In the four training modules, the young people approached basic concepts regarding the North Atlantic Alliance, the values ​​and principles that govern NATO, as well as familiarizing them with a series of concepts used at the allied level. Interactive exercises aimed at developing responsible behaviors among young people addressed practical examples of misinformation and hostile propaganda and facilitated the adoption of several tools to counter these phenomena.

Students benefited from presentations and exercises on the history of NATO and how the Alliance's values ​​are reflected in NATO's actions. The workshops also contributed to familiarizing the students with information about Romania's role in NATO and our country's contributions to the security objectives of the Alliance, as well as the principles underlying the budget and missions of the Romanian Army.

Moreover, civilian and military students benefited from activities that helped them gain more knowledge to identify and counter disinformation through practical exercises. Young people were also encouraged to apply critical information analysis methods to identify and counter propaganda, fake news and information manipulation.

Taking the concepts from theory to practice, the practical workshop organized within the project aimed to contribute to the development of the critical apparatus of young people, thus strengthening their resilience to hostile narratives developed in the media and social media space.  

The event benefited from the intervention of Mr. Gl. Mr. Iulian Berdila, Chief of Staff of the Land Forces:

"Today, at the Western University of Timișoara, a project is being carried out that wants to invest in a safer future and increase the resilience of young people to disinformation campaigns. We, those from the Land Forces, from the Romanian Army, every time said "yes" to such an approach. Students from the Land Forces Academy are also involved in this project, a human resource of the present and future. We welcome this dialogue between civilian and military students, because in this way they can contribute to the consolidation of a security culture that promotes democratic values ​​and trust in NATO, as well as the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that characterizes the North Atlantic Alliance."

It is a unique project, which brings together young people from the civilian and military university area, in order to be able to build real and effective communication bridges, aimed at contributing to countering false information campaigns, said Ileana Rotaru, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, Philosophy and Communication Sciences.

Izel Selim, Program Director of the New Strategy Center, noted that young people will be able to identify and acquire a number of useful tools in their everyday life and professional activity. Based on the results of these training sessions, we aim to build a best practices guide that could be used by other NATO states.

Through this project, the New Strategy Center, the Western University of Timișoara and the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Land Forces Academy in Sibiu want to contribute to the training of future leaders in the civil and military area by disseminating information on NATO's contribution to increasing the security of Romania and the entire Flanc In the East, investments in the field of defense are, in fact, investments in a safer future, which will ensure prosperity and security for our region, emphasized Isabela Dragomir, a professor at the Academy of Land Forces.

We note that the activities carried out took place in conditions of complete safety for the participants, the organizers taking measures such as the mandatory wearing of masks, social distancing, access only to vaccinated people, as well as rapid testing of all participants.