Google.org supports University of Milan project to train cybersecurity experts
The University of Milan, in collaboration with the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, has been selected by Virtual Routes to receive a $700,000 grant as part of Google.org's Cybersecurity Seminars programme. Thanks to this support, the university can promote a cybersecurity seminar programme for 140 students who want to become cybersecurity professionals.
According to the European Union, the shortage of cybersecurity professionals in 2022 will range between 260,000 and 500,000: hence the need for more training and job opportunities in the sector.
Leading the Statale project is Pierluigi Perri, lecturer in the Department of Legal Sciences ‘Cesare Beccaria’, in collaboration with Silvia Salini, lecturer in the Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, chosen as the project's Equality Diversity and Inclusion Champion (EDI).
Specifically, the project involves the realisation of five Cybersecurity seminars consisting of theoretical lectures, workshops and hackathons involving 140 students. In addition, a significant number of hours are devoted to ‘hands-on’ activities with local communities, promoting awareness-raising and service learning, in which the students are supported by coaches and mentors from the Fondazione Mondo Digitale to facilitate the connection with the territories.
The project selects participants with a strong emphasis on gender balance and inclusion. The aim is to train well-rounded cybersecurity professionals with interdisciplinary training and specific knowledge of the laws governing data protection and cybersecurity in the EU.
Google.org's Cybersecurity Seminar programme is managed by Virtual Routes (formerly known as the European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator CIC) to allocate Google.org funding to selected universities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa with the aim of providing a multidisciplinary approach and a range of opportunities for students in the field of cybersecurity.
Google.orgfunding supports universities that teach students how to apply cybersecurity skills in real-life situations.
Experiences for students at participating universities include internships, mentoring by cybersecurity professionals, and participation in hackathons to collaboratively solve real-world cybersecurity problems.
