Background

The “AND Project” is an exploratory project whose main objective is the development of the research network in Military History “RHM-worldATwar”, based at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon (FLUL). To pursue this objective, the working group has the support of several national entities, namely the Military History Group of FLUL History Center, the Naval Research Center (CINAV), the Portuguese Navy, the History and Culture Military Directorate (DHCM) and the Portuguese Army. Composed of several researchers who, over the years, have worked closely with the aforementioned institutions, the team has designed a set of tasks that aim to promote the creation of a network of connections between researchers and institutions, fostering an urgent dialogue between the Academy, Military Institutions and Civil Society (a dialogue that, in Portugal, remains incipient).

The "AND Project" team is aware of the potential of creating this network, through the work analysis already carried out by the project members, and has been identifying a set of potential activities, considered essential to the pursuit of its main objective: the creation of a Military History network in which all researchers and institutions can participate, regardless of their different profiles and different motivations.

The contacts and the creation of this network, made possible by the "AND Project", should be encouraged by consultancy and direct contact with various entities, which the team considers to be potentially interested in the themes of Military History, both in terms of education and in terms of Cultural Tourism itself, heritage protection and dissemination of History and national memory. This is why one of the team's objectives will be to encourage direct contact with Universities and Research Groups, Local Authorities, Museums and Interpretation Centers, among other institutions potentially interested in participating in the "RHM-worldATwar" network.

The "AND Project" is, therefore, an exploratory project that will allow team members to meet, in person, with various institutions, in order to evaluate solutions for their active participation and subsequent creation of future activities with a strong social impact, such as the reformulation of museum collections, academic events, courses and workshops, publications, symposiums and conferences. The involvement of multiple and diverse social actors, as well as their participation in the network's activities, are key indicators for evaluating the success of the work network, whose viability depends on the "AND Project" itself.

To this will contribute also networking in an open and plural way, which will allow greater dynamism and provide greater attraction to the participation of all potential social actors, coming from academic circles, but also from military structures, museum networks, local authorities and heritage safeguarding institutions. The creation of a working group in which contacts are plural and diversified is, in fact, one of the positive feedbacks coming from  national and international potential participants.

Therefore, participating in the "RHM-worldATwar" network will be the equivalent of getting involved in an active network of contacts that will encourage the dissemination of scientific work, the creation of thematic seminars and congresses (inside and outside academic contexts), the design of national teams, projects and transnational activities, the publication of academic works, and other activities that can only be considered in the future, through active participation and dialogue between all the stakeholders.

The creation of a broader network, and subsequently of the research network in Military History "RHM-worldATwar" is, therefore, vital and pertinent, with the "AND Project" being essential to the initial development of these synergies, and for promoting partnership work between researchers, academic institutions, military personnel, heritage institutions and civil society.