Cybersecurity
In our digitalized world, cyber security is a key challenge for society, business and education. Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly complex and can cause serious damage, from data loss to threats to critical infrastructure. Universities have a special responsibility in this regard: they must not only protect their digital infrastructure, but also prepare students specifically for the complex requirements of IT security.
In May 2025, representatives from Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) and Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) – both part of the Cyber Campus NRW – traveled to Estonia to explore pioneering concepts in digital teaching and practical training in the field of cybersecurity.
Estonia as a driving force
Estonia is regarded as an international pioneer in digital administration, IT security and educational technology. The aim of the delegation trip was to identify good practices, learn about innovative teaching formats and gain impetus for the further development of Germany as a university location.
Among other things, the delegation dealt with:
- Models for actively involving students in cybersecurity education
- didactically sound, practice-oriented teaching and learning scenarios
- structural and strategic approaches for university management in the area of IT security
- Questions about scalability, transferability and institutional implementation
Insights and impulses from the delegation trip
The trip provided valuable insights into Estonian university practice, in particular the close integration of theory and practice, the early handling of security-relevant topics in studies and the strategic anchoring of cybersecurity at institutional level. You can find exciting insights into the trip and the topic of cyber security in the blog post.
Delegation trip to Estonia: Preliminary insights into modern educational approaches in cyber security and digital teaching
A hangout with the key findings of the journey took place on September 1, 2025 from 14:00 to 15:30. The agenda included contributions on AI, digital twins and network security.
Delegation
The delegation is made up of the following representatives:
Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences
- Dr. Marion Halfmann, President
- Angela Fischer, Chancellor
- Dr. Teena Chakkalayil Hassan, Professor of Computer Science (Autonomous Systems)
- Dr. Hannes Tschofenig, Computer Science, in particular Network Security
Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences
- Dr. Kathleen Diener, Vice President for Research and Digitalization
- Sylvia Ruschin, Head of University Didactics
- Dr. Matthias Mehrtens, Cyber Security Management
- Sandro Kiefer, Cyber Security Management student
