Higher education institutions to cooperate to develop cyber security education – information psychology research also to be boosted

Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen has granted nearly four million euros in discretionary funding to develop and increase the availability of cyber security education and boost the research and teaching of information psychology.

“Cyber security is a key part of comprehensive security. Finland has lacked a driver of cyber competence, education and research. We are now creating a network of higher education institutions that will take charge of the supply and development of education in this field in a coordinated manner,” says Minister Honkonen.

Network for cyber security education to be strengthened

Based on the call for applications that ended at the start of December, the Ministry will fund an extensive cooperation project coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä and the JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The project will assemble a network to develop, coordinate and provide higher education in cyber security. Of the funding, EUR 2.26 million will be allocated to the University of Jyväskylä and EUR 1.18 million to the JAMK University of Applied Sciences.

The project will increase cooperation between higher education institutions and the division of work in the provision of research-based cyber security education and will develop and increase the number of study modules in cyber security available to degree students. The range of studies offered to non-degree students will also be expanded.

The aim is that students from several different higher education institutions would be able to participate in the same studies without producing overlapping offerings. The network will be able to expand its existing activities and available study opportunities. The network will also be able to cooperate with foreign higher education institutions when providing education.

More research and teaching of information-psychological safety

In addition to the project described above, the Ministry is supporting the psychological resilience of Finnish society by boosting competence in information-psychological safety. The University of Jyväskylä will use the EUR 450,000 funding to boost the research and teaching of information-psychological safety.

Cyber security and information-psychological security are closely linked. The parties involved in teaching and researching information-psychological security at the University of Jyväskylä will cooperate with the network developing, coordinating and providing higher education in the field of cyber security.

Inquiries:

• Päivi Bosquet, Senior Ministerial Adviser (cyber security education), tel. +358 295 330 375
• Ulla Mäkeläinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser (information psychological safety), tel. +358 295 330 223