SPECIAL SESSION #03

Enrico Spinello

Italian Army Officers School, Turin, Italy

• enrico.spinello@unito.it

Marina Marchisio Conte

University of Turin, Italy

• marina.marchisio@unito.it

Cristian-Emil Moldoveanu

Military Technical Academy, Ferdinand I” of Bucharest, Romania

• cristian.moldoveanu@mta.ro

Andrada Livia Cirneanu

Military Technical Academy, Ferdinand I” of Bucharest, Romania

• andrada.cirneanu@mta.ro

The rapidly evolving security environment requires higher education institutions in defence and security fields of study to prepare future officers and specialists not only with advanced technological knowledge but also with the leadership competencies, critical-thinking skills, adaptability, and intercultural awareness necessary to operate effectively in multinational environments. Basic Officer Education Institutions are increasingly adopting advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, project-based learning, and digital methods, to enhance the defence and security education. This special session aims to bring together researchers, teachers, military leaders, and instructors to explore innovative approaches to enhancing the development of future military officers and specialists in defence and security. Particular attention is given to educational transformation, leadership development, critical thinking, digitalisation, modern weapon systems, emerging technologies and international cooperation in military higher education. The session also supports the objectives of the European Initiative for the Exchange of Military Young Officers Inspired by Erasmus (EMILYO), which promotes the exchange of knowledge, competencies, and best practices across military academies and defence universities.

Prof. Habil. PhD. Eng. Cristian-Emil Moldoveanu graduated from the Military Technical Academy "Ferdinand I" in Bucharest in 2001 as an officer engineer in Aircraft Weapon, Missiles, Ammunition and Rescue Systems. He held the positions of head of the Weapon Systems Laboratory, teaching assistant, assistant professor, associate professor, and, since 2022, full professor, teaching fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, external ballistics, and aircraft weapon systems. Between 2004 and 2007, he prepared his PhD thesis at the Fluid Mechanics Institute of Toulouse, France. Since 2012, he has been the Erasmus Institutional Coordinator, and since 2018, he has been the Vice-rector for Interuniversity Relations, managing student and teacher mobility with more than 50 military and civil partner universities. He is the vice-chair for technical support of the Implementation Group of the EU Military Erasmus Initiative, within the European College for Defence and Security. His scientific activity focuses mainly on fluid mechanics, aerodynamics and external ballistics.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andrada Livia Cirneanu is an Associate Professor with a strong academic and research background in System Engineering and Military Engineering. She holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in System Engineering from the University Politehnica of Bucharest, and a Bachelor’s degree in Weapons, Missiles, and Ammunition Engineering from the Military Technical Academy "Ferdinand I". Her research interests span image processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the engineering of information systems, with a focus on applying scientific methods and concepts across interdisciplinary domains. She has contributed as a team member in seven research projects, demonstrating expertise in both hardware and software system design in integrated environments. Currently, she is the project leader for a K2 Cooperation Partnership in Higher Education, where she coordinates international academic collaboration and innovation in higher education systems.