Consortium

The University of Malta is the highest teaching institution in Malta. It is publicly funded and is open to all those who have the requisite qualifications. The University’s structures are in line with the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area. Conscious of its public role, the University strives to create courses which are relevant and timely in response to the needs of the country. The supreme governing bodies of the University are the Council and the Senate.

There are some 11,500 students including over 1000 international students (450 are visiting students) from 92 different countries, following full-time or part-time degree and diploma courses, many of them run on the modular or credit system. The University regularly hosts a large number of Erasmus and other exchange students. A basic Foundation Studies Course enables international high school students who have completed their secondary or high school education overseas but who do not have the necessary entry requirements, to qualify for admission to an undergraduate degree course at the University of Malta.

“Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy (MVNIA) is a key component of the Romanian Intelligence Service. Therefore, we approach the intelligence activity in terms of educating and training future and present intelligence officers, as well as in terms of research and thorough knowledge in the field of intelligence and security. We overcome barriers and shape characters. Our students benefit of both academic training and personal development.

While education in fields supporting intelligence activities – technical, logistics or administrative – can be ensured by other training units, the role of selecting and training future intelligence analysts and case officers goes exclusively to the Academy.

Any high school graduate is welcome to attend one of the two bachelor’s degree programmes Security and Intelligence Studies and Psychology – Intelligence if they want to become an intelligence analyst or a case officer. Those who have a bachelor’s degree have the opportunity of attending the master’s degree programmes Intelligence Analysis or Intelligence and National Security, organized by “Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy.

Our university is open to a larger public, as well, through a wide-range of programmes. These include research master’s, doctoral, and postgraduate programmes, designed for the members of the Romanian intelligence and national security community as well as for all those interested in deepening their understanding of national security. Last but not least, the Academy provides constant training programmes for SRI staff, in different areas and lines of activity.

The University of Groningen has a rich academic tradition dating back to 1614. From this tradition arose the first female student and the first female lecturer in the Netherlands, the first Dutch astronaut and the first president of the European Central Bank. Geographically, the University is rooted in the Northern part of the Netherlands, a region very close to its heart.

The University provides high quality education and research in a broad range of disciplines. We distinguish ourselves in the international market through a close link between education and research and by focusing on three key elements: Energy, Healthy Ageing and Sustainable Society.

Not only are our education and research programmes socially relevant, but our researchers also collaborate with business partners, public institutions and the government. In addition, the University of Groningen stimulates current debate on scientific, social and cultural issues by providing convincing perspectives and fresh ideas, based on the latest scientific findings.

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is the primary Norwegian university in engineering and technology. NTNU is, however, a full range university. More than 300 PhD-degrees are awarded yearly, within the fields of technology, science, arts and humanities, social sciences and medicine.

From 1st January 2016, NTNU merged with three regional university colleges, and is Norway’s largest university with about 38,000 students.

NTNU has a broad range of contacts with industry. The annual budget of NTNU is around € 750 million, 25% of which is externally funded. Total R&D expenditures amounts to approx. € 200 million. NTNU is an active participant in the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Department of Information Security and Communication Technology is part of the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at NTNU. The department has research in the areas of biometrics, cyber defence, critical infrastructure protection, cryptography, digital forensics, e-health and wellbeing, intelligent transportation systems, internet of things, information security management, malware, quantitative modelling of dependability and performance. The department has 1 bachelor study program (70 students), 1 master study programs (74 + 25 students), 1 civil engineering study program (45 students) and 2 PhD educations. The department, in addition, offers flexible and part-time study programs.

The Department of Information Security and Communication Technology has a long experience in participating in EU projects. EU research projects within the department: EU H2020 (5), EU FP7 (4), EU Cost (1), EDA (1), IARPA Odin Thor (1), NFR FME (1), NFR IKT+ (4), NFR ENERGIX (1), NFR BIA (2), as well as a nationally funded research school, The Research Council of Norway COINS Research School, one public sector PhD and four regional research projects. Funding amounting to MNOK 40 (45% of the department budget).

The department hosts and operates NTNU Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS).

The team leader from NTNU on this project is Katrin Franke. He/she is Professor in Computer Science within the information security environment at NTNU in Gjøvik since 2007. In 2007 she joined the Norwegian Information Security Lab (NISlab) with the mission to establish research and education in digital and computational forensics. In this context she was instrumental in setting up the partnership with the Norwegian police organisations as part of the Center for Cyber and information Security (CCIS). Dr. Franke is now leading the NTNU Digital Forensics group. Dr. Franke has 20+ years experiences in basic and applied research for financial services & law enforcement agencies (LEAs) working closely with banks and LEAs in Europe, North America and Asia.

The National Research Council (CNR) is the largest public research institution in Italy, the only one under the Research Ministry performing multidisciplinary activities.

Founded as legal person on 18 November 1923, Cnr’s mission is to perform research in its own Institutes, to promote innovation and competitiveness of the national industrial system, to promote the internationalization of the national research system, to provide technologies and solutions to emerging public and private needs, to advice Government and other public bodies, and to contribute to the qualification of human resources.

In the Cnr’s research world, the main resource is the available knowledge which means people, with their skills, commitment and ideas. This capital comprises more than 8.000 employees, of whom more than half are researchers and technologists. Some 4.000 young researchers are engaged in postgraduate studies and research training at Cnr within the organization’s top-priority areas of interest. A significant contribution also comes from research associates: researchers, from Universities or private firms, who take part in Cnr’s research activities.