Outreach and Events

Past Events

NCSC CyberFirst University Bursaries Roadshow 11 October 2023

Lancaster University will welcome the NCSC to campus on 11 October in support of its CyberFirst University Bursary 2024 entry campaign. University Bursaries are available to UK Citizens applying to enter university in September 2024 and also to current students studying any degree subject who will have at least two years of their degree to complete from September 2024.

Bursaries offer support for up to four years of study, incorporate an 8 week placement each summer and students can receive up to £6,000 per year.

The NCSC’s applications portal is open between 18 September and 20 November 2023.

CyberFirst School Visit by Montgomery Academy 27 September 2023

On 27 September 2023 Lancaster University’s ACE-CSE was delighted to jointly host, along with our colleagues at IN4 Group, 32 pupils from Montgomery Academy to showcase how exciting the worlds of cyber, technology, security and potential careers in the industries can be!

Pupils (and their teachers!) enjoyed a day of cyber themed quizzes, played a carefully crafted cyber security business development game using Lego, acted as digital detectives and toured our beautiful campus environment.

We were very grateful to colleagues from KPMG Francesca Vallely and Kate Atkinson for also providing inspiring talks about their work experiences.

CyberFirst Advanced Camp 7 – 11 August 2023

Lancaster University welcomed young people from across the UK to take part in a leading cyber security summer school organised by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and supported by the university.

The University hosted a cohort of 46 17 and 18-year-olds, who had been selected by the NCSC, part of GCHQ, to take part in a five-day CyberFirst Advanced Summer Camp.

The course, delivered by cyber security experts, is aimed at aspiring young cyber security professionals studying a wide range of A-Level subjects and offers them opportunities to hone the skills and behaviours they will need to enter a wide range of potential cyber security careers.

The programme, a blend of technical tasks, lectures and inspirational speakers, included activities focused around the key cyber security areas of implementing digital forensics; understanding encryption technologies; using open source intelligence techniques; and penetration testing.

The event, that ran between Monday August 7 and Friday, August 11, made use of high-quality teaching spaces in Lancaster University’s Library and is was of the first delivered as part of the CyberFirst partnership between Lancaster University and the NCSC.

Cyber Security Leadership Symposium 6-7 July 2023

After the success of the inaugural Symposium in 2022, Lancaster University and our event partner Templar Executives will again host an international symposium featuring leading practitioners and policymakers from a range of industries, government organisations and the third sector. Full details of the cyber security leadership 2023

BSides Lancashire 30 March 2023

Lancaster University is proud to be host to the inaugural BSides Lancashire. BSides Lancashire is the North West’s new chapter of the leading cyber security series. The event will be focused on valuable technical research, inclusion, diversity, and career progression. There will be insights from various disciplines and roles within the industry and will cater for the more seasoned professionals, through to anyone with an interest in cyber. Save the date: Thursday, March 30^th 2023.

Cyber Champions launching in the Northwest 8 February 2023

Cyber Champions is a not-for-profit organisation promoting awareness of best practices in digital and cyber skills to school children, students, senior citizens and other community groups across the UK. The Cyber Champions programme mobilises young professionals and experienced personnel to volunteer as business and IT role models, and to raise awareness about best practices in online behaviours and the importance of having a positive digital footprint. The event on 8 February 2023 will showcase their work to Lancaster’s postgraduate cyber security students and regional companies with a view to offering students professional development opportunities via contributing to a school programme in the Northwest.

• Cyber Security Leadership Symposium 2022
• Cyber Executive MBA programme
• Lancaster University welcomes Cyber Girls First to campus - Cyber Girls First

Cyber Girls On-Campus Event, 30 January 2023

The Lancaster University-based Cyber Foundry welcomed 50 year-nine girls and their teachers from across Cumbria to Lancaster University for the 2nd Cyber Girls event, in partnership with the Library Engagement Team. The schoolgirls took a tour of the campus to give them a taste of university life and explored cyber security controls as part of a cyber LEGO activity, whilst also completing a robotics session in the afternoon. It was great to see how enthusiastically students engaged in the activities and a pleasure to showcase the many opportunities that exist within the cyber and tech arena.

Cyber Security Leadership Symposium 2022: Being a Global Leader in a Complex World

Lancaster University and its partner Templar Executives welcomed UK and International delegates from government, industry, the third sector, and education to the inaugural Cyber Security Leadership Symposium. Highlights of the Symposium included an address by Sir Jon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council, and David Peattie, Chief Executive Officer for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Full details of the programme and speakers are available.