Developing Cyber Security Education and its Collaboration in Universities of Applied Sciences

We unify cybersecurity education in universities of applied sciences

Duration of the project

1.9.2023 – 31.12.2025

Source of funding

Ministry of Education and Culture

Total funding

1 180 000 €

In this collaborative project involving fourteen universities of applied sciences, national cybersecurity competence requirements are standardized and recommended sector-specifically, for example, in the ICT sector, business administration, and social and health care. The project also examines the cybersecurity competency goals for every university of applied sciences student. The project aims to bring cybersecurity research and development closer to the curriculum.

In the cybersecurity strategy of Finland, one of the three strategic guidelines is the development of cybersecurity expertise. One of the measures for this is to strengthen cybersecurity education programs at universities of applied sciences and universities. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has also highlighted the realization of cyber threats in conflict situations. Developing cybersecurity capabilities among universities of applied sciences and universities is timely in this operational environment.

In this joint project of fourteen universities of applied sciences, recommendations will be made for every student’s cybersecurity skills, as well as more specific recommendations for different fields, such as ICT, business, and social and health care. Each university of applied sciences can implement these competency requirements as part of their own curriculum. The project also aims to integrate cybersecurity research and development activities into the study offerings and ensure a model for the distribution and quality assurance of studies.

The immediate target group of the project includes Finnish universities of applied sciences and their staff, as well as universities and other higher education institutions and their staff through the cooperation carried out in the project. Additionally, the immediate target group includes higher education students participating in the piloting of the produced study modules.

The project’s activities also indirectly target other higher education students, as well as private and public organizations and their staff. As an indirect benefit, students and organizational staff receive cybersecurity training either as part of their degree or as continuing education. Citizens also benefit from the project.

Turku University of Applied Sciences is responsible for the work package in the project that maps the needs of companies for cybersecurity training, designs cybersecurity courses for the open university of applied sciences, and shares information about competency descriptions and courses with other universities of applied sciences’ education programs.