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The University of Malaga (UMA) is the only institution selected in Spain to develop this project that will provide free training and internships to 200 students
The UMA is the first Spanish university selected at European level by Google.org (the philanthropic branch of the multinational technology company) to launch a program of Cybersecurity seminars, thanks to the project designed by the UMA´s School of Computer Science and Engineering.
The project, titled “Cybersecurity Seminaresque”, will provide free training and cybersecurity internships to 200 students, at least, from the end of this year up to 2026. This ambitious program is backed by the fund of a million dollar that the UMA will receive, as well as the access to Google’s technology and expertise in cybersecurity and the educational materials and guidance from the European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator (ECCRI).
This initiative is part of the launch of a project started by Google among European universities in order to promote learning about cybersecurity. During the development of this project, the chosen universities will design a series of activities over a two-year-time (until December 2026, in this case), aimed at increasing the knowledge in cybersecurity and connecting it with AI.
The announcement was made today by Heather Adkins, Google´s Cibersecurity Resilience Officer, during the conference “Cyber defense in the age of AI” held in Google Safety Engineering Center in Malaga, the only one of its kind in Spain.
Therefore, the UMA has been the first university selected on an European level, thanks to the project designed by the UMA´s School of Computer Science and Engineering, whose campus will hold all the activities. The close collaboration between the UMA and Google, which features training programs and joint research, is well known through Bernardo Quintero, founder of VirusTotal who will soon be awarded an honorary doctorate by the university.
Cross disciplinary perspective on cybersecurity
These activities will be available for students from across Spain and not only for Computer Science students, but also for students in different fields (Engineering, Marketing, Communication, Law, etc.), allowing them to work together on cybersecurity from a cross-disciplinary perspective.
Dean of the School of Computer Science and Engineering, Manuel Enciso and his management team have been supported by NICS Lab research group, whose director, Javier López, will also coordinate the implementation of this project.
Applying knowledge in the local community
The students participating in this project will learn by applying the acquired knowledge into real life situations. One of the main goals of the project is not only to provide students with knowledge and abilities they can put into practice, but to carry out this task in their own communities. In order to do so, they will work on protection tasks, infrastructure analysis and evaluation, specially in NGOs and microenterprises, which represent the most vulnerable sector. This focus aligns with the goals of Google.org, which aims to responsibly and altruistically bring cybersecurity and AI into local contexts.
The project has been structured around two main pillars: the training of students so that they can mentor their fellow peers (this will be done during the school year) and hosting two summer schools that will bring together students from different Spanish universities. It is expected that more than 200 students will participate in this project and that it has an impact on more than 250 associations and micro-enterprises.
The project also emphasizes the importance of identifying underrepresented groups in the field of security. This dimension is interpreted differently in each country. The UMA´s School of Computer Science and Engineering pays special attention to promoting women’s participation in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
These goals not only align with the ongoing efforts of the School of Computer Science and Engineering but also with the objectives of the University of Málaga and the broader cybersecurity sector. It includes initiatives such as the ‘Foro Andaluz de Mujeres Ciberlíderes’ (Andalusian Forum of Cyber Leader Women in English) which brings together influential women in cybersecurity from Andalucía for close collaboration.