“HEAT” TRAINING PROGRAMS AIMED AT EU CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WORKING IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS: COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN SANT’ANNA SCHOOL AND ARMA DEI CARABINIERI
The Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies and the Arma dei Carabinieri (Italian military police force) have announced the establishment of a long-term cooperation agreement to organize 50 training courses aimed at civilian personnel, specifically, at high-rank officials working in EU institutions . The agreement for the “HEAT" - Hostile Environment Awareness Training courses was signed by Pierdomenico Perata, Rector of Sant’Anna School and Tullio Del Sette, Commander General of Carabinieri; Professor Andrea de Guttry, director of Sant’Anna School Dirpolis Institute (Law, Politics, Development) will be the training courses coordinator.
According to the agreement, the instructors of the 1st Carabinieri "Tuscania" Parachute Regiment – Livorno will deliver specialized training on "HEAT - Hostile Environment Awareness", under the supervision of Professor Andrea de Guttry who was named as the winner of the EU call, for which more than 20 project proposals were presented. In 2017 Sant’Anna School will offer 10 "HEAT" training courses; participants have so far completed courses 1-3.
The 50 courses that will be held in Tuscany are offered to 20 or more participants. The training program will provide knowledge and skills to understand threats and deal with hostile situations in peacekeeping international missions and peace operations. European Union senior officials, selected for participation in the "HEAT courses", will work in post conflict zones or dangerous areas and may need to address concerns about personal safety. Accomplishing challenging missions will require experienced instructors: the 1st Carabinieri "Tuscania" Parachute Regiment experts will focus on the safety procedures and through high-impact simulations they will provide EU officials with practical skills such as movement techniques, procedures to be followed aboard military vehicles, use of military equipment.
The agreement signed today at Sant'Anna School – Pisa, has taken the substantial cooperation with the Carabinieri, began in 2002, to a new level, particularly in the context of teaching and research activities; Sant'Anna School and Carabinieri have broadened their cooperation into a multi-year training project on human rights aimed at the Jandarma, the "Carabinieri" of Turkey, and a joint course, addressed to Sant’Anna students, the staff of the Carabinieri Police and to Armed Forces members.
"This cooperation has a strategic value - noted Rector Pierdomenico Perata - for at least two reasons: the important role of the Arma dei Carabinieri, and our new success in a highly competitive EU Call. Sant'Anna School has gained advantage against some of the most prestigious European institutions in the fields of law and political science and, this project achieved the highest rating, 99 out of 100. Offering the 'HEAT' specialized training, Sant’Anna School further consolidates its position in higher education sector, which becomes increasingly important in attracting the best and qualified students. International students in 2015 grew to 20 per cent on postgraduate training courses, and have reached 30 percent in PhD courses, which represent high rates in higher education sector in Italy ".
