IHEDN Endowment Fund

Designed for students aged 18 to 30, The «Continuum Security-Defence» (formerly «Découverte») cycle has been organised every year since 2011 by the Endowment Fund of the IHEDN (Institut des hautes études de défense nationale), with the support of the SNCF, and is aimed primarily at students from the Ile-de-France region who are preparing a higher education diploma for professional purposes (BTS, BUT, licence, master's degree, etc.).

The aim of the «Security and Defence Continuum» cycle is to provide in-depth information on the defence and security policy of France and the safety issues at SNCF.

In particular, it relies on direct exchanges between participants, military personnel and public service professionals.

The programme takes place over four days, with welcome in full board (accommodation and catering): after conferences Introduction to the École Militaire (Paris 7)^e), the session alternates between immersion visits of a military unit (regiment, base, etc.) and sites representative of the SNCF's security business.

The aim is to encourage collective reflection on the’spirit of defence and the security-defence continuum, around specific topics. The participants' conclusions are presented at the closing session, in the presence of authorities from the SNCF and the IHEDN.

The course ends with the issue of a certificate.