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During the last few years, Aalto University and the University of Helsinki have built up strong research groups and education programs in information security and privacy. Collectively these groups represent the best information security expertise in Finland and one of the best in Europe. Both universities also offer a number of information security courses in their curricula which are very popular with students.

´The increasing digitalization of all walks of life makes information security and privacy critical aspects of a wide range of systems that affect our daily lives. Several Finnish industry leaders have clearly articulated the continuing need for highly trained information security professionals’, tells Jouko Lampinen, head of Computer Science Department at Aalto University.

The universities have intensive collaboration both in information security research as well as teaching. To build on the success of these accomplishments, and to address the needs of Finnish industry by ensuring that Finland can continue to attract top students and equip them with a world class education in information security, thereby enriching the talent pool available for Finnish industry, both universities have decided to establish the Helsinki-Aalto Center for Information Security (HAIC). HAIC will serve as a common interface towards information security research and education at both universities.

’Information security in the digital, networked world is a major challenge for research and education. The purpose of the Helsinki-Aalto Center for Information Security, HAIC, is to support broad-based efforts in advanced cyber-security and combine different types of expertise to address its scientific, technological and societal issues,’ states the Dean Risto Nieminen in Aalto University School of Science.

‘The new center combines the expertise of the two universities and directly addresses the pressing need of the Finnish ICT industry for security and privacy experts,’ explains Sasu Tarkoma, Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki.

HAIC will focus on offering scholarships for talented master’s students choosing to specialize in information security.

‘Both universities will also invite industry partners to offering similar scholarships under the auspices of HAIC. Details of the industry sponsorship program will be announced soon,’ tells N. Asokan, the director of HAIC.

HAIC is also expected expand to cover doctoral training and research. The mission of HAIC is to develop into a world’s leading center for research and education in information security.

Further information:

N. Asokan
Professor, Aalto University, and Director of HAIC
+358504836465
n.asokan@aalto.fi

Tuomas Aura
Professor, Aalto University
+358503081702
tuomas.aura@aalto.fi

Valtteri Niemi
Professor, Deputy Director of HAIC
University of Helsinki
valtteri.niemi@cs.helsinki.fi

Sasu Tarkoma
Head of department
sasu.tarkoma@cs.helsinki.fi

Web page haic.aalto.fi

Master's Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS) at Aalto University