Lancaster University’s new Cyber Security Executive Master of Business Administration (CEMBA) is “blazing a trail” in teaching vital skills to leaders looking to protect their business.

That was the view of some of the first students to join the programme, which launched at the beginning of the year.

The CEMBA was developed with industry-leading cyber security consultants, Templar Executives, to provide a qualification which blends practical expertise and academic excellence, from an institution which is one of only a handful of universities nationally to be identified by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as an Academic Centre of Excellence in cyber security research and education.

Professor Daniel Prince, Professor of Cyber Security in Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communication and co-Director of the Cyber Security Executive MBA, said: “Cyber leadership is a complex field, requiring great people skills with a sound understanding of technical issues in order to inspire and lead organisations to protect themselves and their customers in a digital age.

“We are proud to have launched this degree to hone the next generation of cyber leaders, ready to face the future of cyber security.”

Dr Robyn Remke, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Strategy at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and co-Director of the Cyber Security Executive MBA, added: “Many of us assume cyber security only involves digital technology and is, ultimately, a technology problem. But cyber risk management is actually a people and organisational challenge. Effective cyber security requires responsible and inclusive leadership and management, which is why the Management School is uniquely positioned to collaborate with the School of Computing and Communication to help managers address these challenges.

“As a quadruple-accredited school with a long legacy of post-experience education, LUMS’ tutors provide students a comprehensive MBA curriculum, which includes everything they need to know to lead organisations and businesses in perilous times.”

The news comes as the University announces its second annual Cyber Security Leadership Symposium, which will feature vital input and updates from some of the leading figures in the sector – many of whom contribute to the CEMBA curriculum.

The CEMBA is a blended, part-time postgraduate programme which aims to provide middle and senior leaders with the expertise they need to skilfully manage cyber security risk for their organisation.

One of the inaugural cohort, Dr Manni Imiavan, Digital Director and Senior Information Risk Owner, South Tees NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Several universities and institutions in the UK and abroad offer good MBA programmes.

“However, for the discerning student looking for an MBA programme which puts the spotlight on an important area of modern business, i.e. cyber security, then there is only one serious actor on the stage and that is Lancaster University Management School's Cybersecurity Executive MBA (CEMBA) programme. It is unique and blazes a trail in its offering.

“It achieves a mix of theory and practice bringing together renowned cyber security practitioners with leading strategic thinkers across both academia and industry and seeks to pass this knowledge on to its student cohort. I will strongly recommend Lancaster University's CEMBA programme.”

Lee Carr, Senior Programme Manager within the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group, which is responsible for cleaning up the UK’s legacy nuclear sites safely and securely, added: “I’m really excited to be part of the first cohort. Studying the Cyber Security Executive MBA at Lancaster University combines the best of both technical and leadership development into one programme.

“The academic team, the support from a range of cyber business leaders and the facilities at Lancaster are all first class.”

Partnering with Templar Executives to codesign the new qualification ensured it adopted a practice-based approach to learning the foundational concepts associated with both leadership and management, as well as cyber security risk. Modules and assessments are designed to help students build up their knowledge and use it to reflect and analyse their own organisational context.

Andrew Fitzmaurice, CEO of Templar Executives, said: “The outstanding feedback from the first CEMBA cohort highlights our successful partnership between academia and business. This world-class postgraduate qualification from Lancaster University and our experts from Templar Executives has been developed specifically with industry needs in mind.

“At a time when the Cyber agenda is evolving at pace, the CEMBA is creating a pipeline of current and future senior executives to address the ongoing leadership challenges and opportunities in a business context.”

For more information on the CEMBA, go to https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-courses/cyber-security-executive-mba-mba/

To register for the Cyber Security Leadership Symposium 2023 on 6^th and 7^th July, go to https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cyber-security-education/cyber-security-leadership-2023/index.php