Scuola Universitaria Interdipartimentale in Scienze Strategiche (SUISS)

This course contributes to the educational objectives master degree course in Strategic Science it is aimed at providing students with a solid and deep knowledge toward CBNRe weapons of mass destruction, their properties, interaction with living systems, effects on human health, generalities on European laws about CBNRe. In particular, the course aims to provide students with:

- a deep knowledge of the interdisciplinary (chemical, biological, historical) language applied to the scientific methodologies related to Chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological and explosives weapons of mass destruction weapons (CBNRe).

-an overview of the most important CBNRe of mass destruction and their possible application for terrorist attacks.

-an overview of the most important international laws, treaties and conventions about CBNRe.

- an deep knowledge about accidental contamination by chemical, biological and radioactive agents.

- an in-depth knowledge into the possible biological and chemical threats and the possibility to detect them, to decontaminate the environment, to protect from their effects.

- an in-depth knowledge into the relationships between chemical and biological threats and human body.

-an introduction on the management of an emergency following a chemical and/or biological contamination, including the institutional actors who have the purpose of intervening (firefighters, army, medical doctors, and paramedics). A practical simulation on this issue will be carried out.

-an introduction to "Medical Intelligence"

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Acquiring solid strong theoretical and applicative skills concerning the fundamental features of CBNRe weapons and threats, main methods for their study and characterization, methods of environmental detection and decontamination, individual and collective protective devices.

Acquiring solid strong skills about the interaction of chemical and biological weapons with human body and their effect on the health.

Acquiring solid knowledge about the different classes of chemical weapons and the possible chemical threats from anthropogenic.

Understating the basic principles about prohibition of CBNRe weapons, the main legislative treaties, and international conventions.

Knowing the most important historical events about CBNRe issues.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

Acquisition of the ability to read scientific papers and understaing data about chemical and biological threats and CBNRe weapons of mass destruction.

Acquisition of the ability to read the safety data sheets of chemical products and understand the appropriate individual and collective protective devices to be used.

Capability to apply the foundamelal knowledge of chemistry and biology to the analysis of chemical and biological threats.

MAKING JUDGEMENTS

Acquisition of aware judgment autonomy concerning evaluation and interpretation of experimental data in order to achieve strategic choices in unkonw situations.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Acquisition of oral and written communication skills and expertise as well as the ability to use graphical and formal languages.

LEARNING SKILLS.

Acquisition of autonomous learning capacity and self-assessment of preparation

SOFT SKILLS.

This course will contribute to the acquisition of several soft skilss as team-working, organization, collaboration, creativity, communication, Time management, Public speaking.

• Explosives: general information, classification of explosives, primers. Chemical techniques for the analysis and finding of explosives (SEM/x-rays, IR, ....);

• Effects of CBNRe agents on biological systems and the human body;

• Detection methods of chemical and biological agents, biosensors, POCT.

• Principles of decontamination from CBNRe agents;

• Individual and group protective devices;

• Notes on national and international treaties on weapons of mass destruction, national and international conventions on CBNRe risk, chain of intervention in case of chemical and biological risk.
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• Basis principles of “Medical Intelligence”

The course will be delivered in presence. The teaching activities will mainly consist in frontal lessons added to the presence of additional study materials loaded on the moodle platform.

Intermediate tests (for autovalutation) will be uploaded.

Two practical group activities in the class will be carried out.

The first one will be the simulation of the management of an emergency following a chemical and/or biological contamination. It will include the analysis of the institutional actors who have the purpose of intervening in the emergency (firefighters, army, medical doctors, and paramedics).

The second one will be the depth analysis of a specific topic related to the course. The class will be divided in groups that will be guided, in the framework a flipped classroom methodology, to the analysis of a specific problem about chemical/biological threats, the reading of scientific literature related to this issue and the elaboration of results of the activity to be discussed with the class.

The final exam will be oral and will focus mainly on the theoretical aspects of the course, in order to evaluate both the understanding of the fundamental properties of CBNRe weapons and threats and their applications. The student's ability to apply these principles to real contexts will be strongly evaluated.

In the final evaluation, group activity will also be considered, with particular attention to the analysis of the ability to use formal language and the development of transversal skills such as teamwork, organization, collaboration, creativity, communication, time management, public speaking.

For the preparation, students can use slides and notes.

Papers and reviews related to the topics of the course will be suggested by the teacher during the course.

Some book are available for further study if deemed appropriate by the students:

• CBRN Protection (WILEY-VCH)- Managing the Threat of Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear Weapons

• INTRODUCTION TO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION -; Radiological, Chemical and Biological (R. EVERETT LANGFORD)

Furthermore, the following websites can be used for obtaining additional educational material:

• OPCW (Organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons) https://www.opcw.org
• CDC (Center for disease control and prevention) https://www.cdc.gov