KU Engineering signs agreement with US Cyber Command to aid in security efforts

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas School of Engineering faculty and students will develop, conduct and share research and training resources and programs to help strengthen the nation’s digital defenses as part of a new agreement.

The Education Partnership Agreement is between U.S. Cyber Command, known as USCYBERCOM, and KU. The Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and the Institute for Information Sciences (I2S) are leading the technical side of this collaboration, while the university’s Office of National Defense Initiatives will be among the main units that will contribute to initiatives through this agreement.

KU students and faculty will gain access to Department of Defense (DoD) opportunities and resources inspired directly by what happens in the current cyberspace — where USCYBERCOM has “noteworthy visibility,” said Alexandru Bardas, associate professor of electrical engineering & computer science. Among them: exclusive webinars; insights into how to benefit from DoD programs, internships and grants; and guest lectures covering cyberspace strategy, policy, law, innovation and workforce issues.

Along only a handful of universities with an Education Partnership Agreement with USCYBERCOM, KU uniquely brings cybereducation and research — along with established centers of excellence with the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director for National Intelligence — under one academic roof, Bardas said.

“The agreement is a great opportunity for KU to interact with and access Department of Defense resources to further elevate our research and education posture,” he said.

Mike Denning, director of KU’s Office of National Defensive Initiatives, said the agreement would empower exchanges and direct research to foster unique competencies, capacities and expertise. He said he looks forward to the work not only strengthening employment opportunities for students and research efforts for graduate students and faculty, but also generating insights into the cyber activities of U.S. adversaries.

“Strong partnerships supported by talented and skilled people are vital for USCYBERCOM to remain agile and ready in the cyber domain, and KU’s extensive experience and research in this domain fosters a natural collaborative opportunity that is critical to this nation,” Denning said.