Royal Holloway has joined five universities from the UK, the United States and Japan to establish a new consortium to tackle the growing international challenges facing cybersecurity experts in our increasingly connected world.
The International Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (INCS-CoE) will serve as a hub for international cybersecurity research, advocacy, and education. Its members will help governments develop global cybersecurity standards, conduct research to stay ahead of evolving threats, help train students to handle the cybersecurity challenges of the future.
Professor Paul Layzell, Principal of Royal Holloway, who signed the charter to establish the International Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, said: “We are pleased to join this international network of research institutions to help tackle the global challenges presented by cybersecurity.
“With Royal Holloway recognised in the UK as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, being able to collaborate with other international universities cements our Information Security Group’s global reach and impact.”
The founding members of the centre along with Royal Holloway are Keio University and Kyushu University in Japan; the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Northeastern University in America and Imperial College London in the UK.
Other universities around the world have already expressed their interest in joining the centre as well. As more countries get involved, opportunities will arise to identify and close potential cybersecurity gaps worldwide.
Professor Keith Mayes, of the Information Security Group at Royal Holloway, said: “Royal Holloway, and in particular its Information Security Group (ISG), has a long history of working with industry and government on information/cyber security issues, engaging in research, education and advisory services. However, cyber attackers are not restricted to national boundaries, and so an equally global approach is required.
“This new Centre of Excellence provides a fantastic opportunity for academics, companies and governments to collaborate in an open, positive and practical manner. It was born from like-minded academics in three countries that share similar values of trust and respect.
“I am proud to have contributed to the development INCS-CoE. We will now work to expand the number of participating academic institutions, from the growing list of interested parties, and solidify and expand our industry sponsorship.“It is an exciting prospect for Royal Holloway to be involved in major internationally funded collaborative research projects that will have great positive impact throughout the world."
Several large corporations have already provided funding for the new centre, including CISCO, Adobe, Hitachi, NEC, Fujitsu, and Northrop Grumman. The centre is also dedicated to training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to understand the international challenges they will face.
