Minister of Advanced Education visits CUE to learn about student research and future plans for management programs
We were grateful to welcome Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides to Concordia University of Edmonton during the first day of our CUE Annual Research and Innovation Conference (CARIC) April 20-21. The Minister was welcomed by CUE President Tim Loreman and Dean of Management Alison Yacyshyn, who guided the Minister through Tegler Student Centre and introduced him to the important research happening in our research labs and classrooms.
Last week, the Government of Alberta announced funding of nearly $1.63 million through the Targeted Enrolment Expansion program that will go towards increasing domestic enrolments in CUE’s Bachelor of Management (BMgmt), the Master of Information System Assurance Management (MISAM) program, and the Master of Information System Security Management (MISSM) program over the next four years.
The Minister was especially interested to see for himself where government funding was going, and hear from students, including James Joseph, second-year Master of Information Systems Security Management (MISSM) student and VP of Finance for the Graduate Student’s Association.
The Minister spoke with James and congratulated him on his important work and upcoming presentation at CARIC.
We spoke to James during CARIC about why he chose a MISSM graduate degree, James responded. “Cybersecurity is growing, and I searched out a program that would advance my knowledge in this area while I was finishing my undergrad degree in Technology Management.”
As one of very few programs of its kind in Canada, James says MISSM is teaching him expert skills and that gives him confidence as he goes about his job hunt. “Many graduates from the program went into jobs as risk analyst, cybersecurity analyst, security consultant, and security auditor, and entered companies including KPMG and Deloitte, as well as government,” James explains.
The demand for information systems security professionals in Alberta and around the world has been growing rapidly in recent years due to the increasing sophistication of cyber attacks. Businesses are looking for expertise to prevent cyber threats, such as malware, phishing, hacking, and ransomware.
“Organizations are in a hurry to protect their sensitive data and infrastructure from these threats, making it one of the fastest growing occupations,” – James.
The management program maintains a sharp focus on the needs of employers and changes in industry. Our world has changed rapidly in the past decade due to increased reliance on cloud systems, the rise of AI and machine learning, world-wide use of smartphones, and rapid rise in cybercrime. CUE management programs engage students in hands-on training to help students stay current and competitive in this rapidly changing field.
The university also offers plenty of opportunities for students to network and learn from industry experts through the online InfoSec monthly seminar series. “The seminars are an amazing chance for students to hear from professionals in the field. After I graduate, I hope to stay connected to CUE by attending these seminars. I encourage others to attend as many as you can. It’s a great way to connect and hear from speakers in security research and technologies.”
The next InfoSec seminars takes place on Thursday, May 11, 2023. Anyone is welcome to attend – including those not part of the CUE community.
The MISSM program launched in 2005, as a successor to the established after-degree diploma in information security. It was CUE’s first Master’s program and also remains one of Canada’s first graduate-level information Systems Security Management programs. The Master of Information Systems Assurance Management (MISAM) program’s first course offering was in Fall of 2013, and we will be celebrating 10 years at CUE this Fall.