Maryland’s Morgan State University was chosen as one of six historically black colleges and universities to launch an IBM cybersecurity center aimed at training underrepresented professionals in the field.
Morgan State University, one of Maryland’s premiere historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), was chosen by tech powerhouse IBM to establish a cybersecurity center with the university, aimed at training underrepresented communities in the field of cybersecurity. Morgan was chosen alongside five other HBCUs around the country for the initiative.
According to an IBM press release, “These collaborations underscore IBM’s focus on providing STEM job training to traditionally underrepresented communities as part of its commitment to skill 30 million people worldwide by 2030 to create equitable, inclusive economic opportunities while also addressing a longstanding STEM job skills shortage impacting the business community.”
IBM pledged in 2021 to partner with HBCUs to establish Cybersecurity Leadership Centers, with the goal of building a more diverse U.S. cyber workforce.
The collaboration between IBM and Morgan will focus on three specific areas:
- Cybersecurity curricula: IBM will develop for each HBCU, a customized IBM Security Learning Academy portal – IBM client offering – including courses designed to help the university enhance its cybersecurity education portfolio. In addition, IBM will continue to give access to IBM Academic Programs.
- Immersive learning experience: HBCUs’ faculty and students will have an opportunity to benefit from IBM Security’s Command Center, through which they can experience a highly realistic, simulated cyberattack, designed to prepare them and train them on response techniques. Moreover, HBCUs’ faculty will have access to consultation sessions with IBM technical personnel on cybersecurity.
- Cloud access: IBM will provide faculty and students with no-cost access to multiple SaaS IBM Cloud environments.
The full list of HBCU’s set to establish a center include Xavier University of Louisiana, that state’s Southern University System, North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State, Clark Atlanta and Morgan State universities. IBM reportedly plans to eventually expand the program to 20 centers at HBCUs around the country.
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