The Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars program was an open call to provide Google.org funding and support from Virtual Routes to enable selected universities across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to host a cybersecurity seminar on their campus to create more opportunities for students from different walks of life and backgrounds to learn about the cybersecurity field, gain hands-on experience, and explore potential career pathways.
Recognizing the diversity of students, communities, and locations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the program encourages universities receiving Google.org funding and support from Virtual Routes to adapt and customize the setup of the cybersecurity seminars to best serve their unique needs and contexts.
University seminars can be run via various formats, such as a summer school, as a series of evening courses over a trimester, or as a credit-worthy course in university time, with the aim to allow students to explore the field of cybersecurity and get practical experience while supporting the digital defenses of under-resourced community organizations. University-based cybersecurity seminars address two simultaneous needs: building cybersecurity capacity and resilience in their communities and training the next generation of cybersecurity talent with real-world job experience. Virtual Routes will offer a fully customizable curriculum, introductory online lectures, and other resources - for example, guides for EDI best practices and successful local community engagement - to each selected university.
At Google, security has always been at the core of our products. We’ve worked to protect people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise and advancing cybersecurity tools and resources.
This fund will support higher education institutions to help students explore entry-level career pathways in cybersecurity. We want to support these institutions in building a diverse workforce with the real-world experience needed to protect their communities.
Successful grantees received up to $1,000,000 in funding from Google.org, access to Google's technology, expertise and certifications. In addition to the financial support, grantees will benefit from educational guidance and resources provided by Virtual Routes. Furthermore, they will gain access to a diverse and extensive cybersecurity instructor network, providing valuable mentorship and expertise to help them excel in the field of cybersecurity.
Selected universities will organize and run at least two cybersecurity seminar courses over the next three years. In addition, universities commit to offering each student hands-on experience with at least one community organization within each seminar course. These seminars can cover a range of topics, including vulnerability and risk assessments, cybersecurity policy development, incident response planning, penetration testing, and more, ensuring that students are well-prepared for real-world challenges.
In terms of time commitment, each cybersecurity seminar course will be roughly equivalent to a 5EC course under the European Credit system (about 135 hours total), even if the course is not taken for credit. Compared to most university courses, cybersecurity seminar courses will likely have a higher proportion of contact hours (around 50), and less self-study, with most self-study time dedicated to project work with underserved organizations.
Running cybersecurity seminars is a substantial commitment. Cybersecurity seminars are not a one-off; they require ongoing passion and dedication over three years - and ideally beyond - as well as a true enthusiasm for improving cybersecurity skills of students in a practical, careers-oriented way.
Crucially, universities will actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within their cybersecurity programs, both encouraging the strong participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds and creating an inclusive environment, thereby enriching the overall learning experience and strengthening the cybersecurity community.
Please contact contact@virtual-routes.org if you have additional questions.
Universities retain all intellectual property rights in their cybersecurity seminar courses, and are able to use Virtual Routes resources free of charge.
Virtual Routes is a trading name of Virtual Routes Incubator CIC, a UK community interest or not-for-profit company (CIC) formerly known as the European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator (ECCRI CIC). Virtual Routes exists to conduct, facilitate and promote research and education on the impact of digital and emerging technologies on global affairs for policymakers, industry, civil society, and the general public. Virtual Routes is providing support to universities selected through the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program, including training, curriculum development, networking and knowledge sharing.
Detailed course information, including data on participating students and local community organizations, will be collected by Virtual Routes to measure program success according to agreed metrics. This data will be shared in aggregate form with Google.org to understand the impact of the program and to inform future social impact programming, with all sensitive and personally identifiable information redacted. All information shared with Virtual Routes is handled in accordance with Virtual Routes's Privacy Policy. You may contact Virtual Routes at any time to make updates or request deletion of your data.
At any time, you may request to delete or update your contact information by contacting contact@virtual-routes.org.
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