Collaborative Multinational Military Education: Arctic Simulation

Abstract

This article presents an on-line simulation exercise for cadets at military colleges in Canada, Norway, and the United States in 2019. The pilot project aspired to learn whether it is possible within a normal professional military educational program to gain cross-cultural and international relations competence by creating peer-to-peer contact between cadets on digital platforms. Working across language and cultural barriers in an international environment is a valuable professional skill, but military academies face constraints of regulation, cost, scheduling, and organizational culture which can preclude multinational simulations, however valuable these might be. This article describes the background research and preparations, method of execution, constraints on the conduct of the pilot project, considerations for future events, and advantages or learning opportunities identified in running the pilot. It concludes with suggestions for future military peer-to-peer simulations.

Keywords

• professional military education
• experiential learning
• problem-based learning
• simulation
• cross-cultural communication
• international relations