Project: Support for Moldova Cybersecurity Academy (October 2023-November 2025)

The objective is to enhance the cybersecurity education programs of the Moldova Cybersecurity Academy, thereby preparing the next generation of cyber leaders and fortifying national public and community organizations against cyber threats

The project aims to expand access and opportunities for cyber education and skills development, achieved through enhancements in university cyber curricula at both undergraduate and master’s levels, as well as specialized certificate training programs focusing on crucial cyber career pathways. Furthermore, tailored training modules will be provided to augment the capabilities of the government’s cyber workforce, as well as entry-level or cross-disciplinary cyber knowledge education. The overarching project goal revolves around bolstering Moldova’s cyber education systems. This involves investing in local university professors, industry experts, and educators who will collectively meet the demands of contemporary cyber curricula. To make cyber education and training more feasible and accessible, the project will also introduce incentives in the form of training and certification vouchers. Furthermore, the project will extend certified cyber programs to young professionals both within and beyond the IT sector, offering them a pathway to embark on careers in cybersecurity.

Outcomes: 

-Enhancements in university cyber curricula at both undergraduate and master’s levels, and life-long learning for cybersecurity, completing needs assessment, university curricula approvals, and up to 4 improved cyber security courses

-Enhancements in university cyber curricula at undergraduate and master’s levels, and life-long learning for cybersecurity, with up to 12 cybersecurity courses developed/adapted and up to 4 industry certification tracks, 

-Increasing learning opportunities and enabling career tracks in cyber security, training 500 students and professionals in cyber, 

-Consolidating the cyber education capacity in Moldova, preparing up to 10 local and regional cyber trainers and professors

-Increasing learning opportunities and enabling career tracks in cyber security, training 1,000 students and professionals in cyber, with 100 obtaining cyber certifications

The Project will support the following end beneficiaries:

• Young people who are unemployed, who have limited career opportunities or are at risk of losing their jobs
• All project activities will be conducted with a keen awareness of gender considerations, ensuring that equal rights are provided to both men and women. With a goal to encourage greater participation of usually underrepresented women in the tech and cybersecurity industry, aiming for at least 50 percent of the project beneficiaries to be women
• The project’s activities will intentionally encompass beneficiaries from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. This will include engagement with youth as well as low-income families from rural areas, a demographic that constitutes half of the project’s total student population. Secondary beneficiaries of the Project will also include educators and cybersecurity professionals who lack opportunities for skilling in the context of cyber threats related to the war in Ukraine.