Gaming as a tool for training and reflection in modern armed forces
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Researcher Aggie Hirst, Associate Professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, recently presented at Lusófona University the main findings of her research on the role of gaming and simulation in military contexts.
Since 2017, Hirst’s project has analysed the resurgence of wargames within the United States armed forces, exploring how gaming is used as a tool for training, planning, and cognitive development. Based on over 100 hours of interviews with professionals in the field, the research reveals how the act of playing can serve both as an instrument for learning and as a means of behavioural conditioning.
According to the researcher, “what matters is not what we play, but how we play.” Hirst offers a critical reflection on the use of games in military training processes, questioning the ethical and political implications of transforming a playful activity into a means of producing power and discipline.
Guest
Aggie Hirst | Associate Professor, Department of War Studies, King’s College London
Production
Filipa Cavém
Filming
Filipa Cavém, Beatriz Sobrado e Silva, and Rui Simões
Editing
Rui Simões
Article
Filipa Cavém
