BT teams up with UTS to bolster cyber solutions

International communications heavyweight British Telecom (BT) has signed up for a five-year partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to collaborate on cyber security developments.

Undergraduate internships for both IT and engineering students, as well as support for innovation programs are also being worked out to enhance both organisations’ cyber capabilities from the ground up.

The tie-up comes as demand for cyber skills reaches peak levels in the international telco and financial services sectors where BT has a heavy presence. 

Vice-chancellor and vice-president of Innovation and Enterprise at UTS Glenn Wightwick said the partnership is “a great opportunity for us to jointly help address the cyber skills shortage and further strengthen our local cyber R&D capability”.

While the relationship will mainly centre on cyber, Wightwick told iTnews the university’s expertise in artificial and data analytics will be “applied to the challenge”.

“We have also had some very interesting discussions about leveraging our expertise in forensic science which today is increasingly focussed on the integration of data from a multitude of sources to help anticipate when a crime might be about to take place,” said Wightwick.

He added that the greater proximity to first-hand industry knowledge will help guide and motive research, while also making sure the graduates are equipped with knowledge relevant for the workforce.

BT expects that staff from its Sydney Security Operation Centre will be regular guest lecturers at the university.

Potential funding and grant arrangements are yet to be agreed upon, said Wightwick.