Swiss-African Cybersecurity Community: A Focus on Education, Research and Knowledge Building

Swiss-African Cybersecurity Community: A Focus on Education, Research and Knowledge Building

Duration: 2024 - 2026 Funding: Movetia Partners: Africa Blockchain Institute, Rwanda FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Ghana Communication Technology University, Ghana Haute Ecole Arc, Switzerland Hawassa University, Ethiopia ISACA Switzerland Chapter, Switzerland SwissLink Higher Institute of Business and Technology, Cameroon Turacos, Switzerland University of Buea, Cameroon University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Cybersecurity, including social engineering tactics, poses a significant threat to Switzerland. While Swiss Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) have made commendable efforts to enhance cybersecurity education, the focus often remains on technical measures, neglecting the critical human and cultural aspects. Despite Switzerland’s international outlook, cybersecurity awareness regarding the African continent is limited, even as technological adoption there accelerates, bringing new vulnerabilities. Countries like Cameroon and Kenya face challenges such as mobile money fraud, driven by socio-economic factors, linguistic diversity, and distinct regulatory landscapes. Therefore, researchers, educators, and students from Swiss HEIs must understand cybersecurity’s cultural dimensions and stay informed on trends across various African regions to strengthen Switzerland’s defense. This goal can be achieved by fostering deeper collaboration between Swiss and African cybersecurity stakeholders.

The project aims to build a Swiss-African cybersecurity community via a digital platform to promote cross-cultural exchange, enhance cybersecurity skills, and support collaborative research between HEIs from both regions. Through this community, Swiss educators and students can broaden their understanding of cybersecurity’s cultural dimensions, which will inform and improve their curriculums and defenses against global cyber threats. The platform will serve as a space for dialogue, trust-building, and the foundation for deeper partnerships, including potential exchanges. Initially, 5 Swiss and 6 African partners will engage in key activities: creating the platform, piloting research and workshops, and ensuring community sustainability through continuous evaluation and improvement.