About the institution

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) is the largest University in Greece covering all disciplines. It is widely recognized as a vibrant center of learning which draws its inspiration from a long tradition of academic achievement. This can be supported, among other factors, by the fact that so much in science, as in the arts and divinity, medicine and technology, it prides itself in its international role. AUTh aims to offer equal opportunities for learning, research and communication; it aspires to create an environment where education and research thrive, and subsequently, realize the vision for a better world with equal rights for everybody to claim the fruits of economic growth and social prosperity.

About the program

AUTh – Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars is an ambitious project, funded by Google.org, aiming to provide interdisciplinary cybersecurity training and hands-on experience to students, to protect local community organizations in Greece. It offers a unique opportunity for students of any discipline to extend their knowledge of cybersecurity and encourages their participation in this fast growing area. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), being the biggest university in Greece, will utilize a new state-of-the-art cyber-range infrastructure to train at least 200 students from AUTh and from the two other universities placed in Thessaloniki, i.e. the University of Macedonia and the International Hellenic University. The participants will take advantage of the knowledge acquired in the program to put it at the service of the society through a paid internship scheme to the benefit of local community organizations. The program guarantees equal opportunities for students from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds.

AUTh Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Kyriakos Yakinthos, Professor at School of Mechanical Engineering, on the selection of Aristotle University’s proposal and the grant funding by Google.org for the organization of Cybersecurity Seminars by AUTh:

“The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) is thrilled to announce the organization of Cybersecurity Seminars funded by Google.org. Specifically, these seminars will train, in collaboration with Virtual Routes, over 200 students in contemporary cybersecurity topics and will fund their internships in more than 250 local community organizations/companies. AUTh, being one of the largest universities in South-East Europe, with a crucial imprint on the economic life and the society of North Greece, is confident for the quality of training that will offer through this program to the students of the three universities of Thessaloniki, i.e. AUTh, University of Macedonia and International Hellenic University. AUTh is also very honored and proud for the decision made by Google.org to trust this important program to the team of AUTh professors who will organize the cybersecurity seminars and very happy for the chance it has now to procure and install a brand new and powerful cyber-range infrastructure for providing hands-on training on cybersecurity to the participants and AUTh students. As the Vice-Rector of AUTh, I welcome the initiation of AUTh – Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars, which I see as a breakthrough in the cybersecurity training with a high impact for the society and the economic development in North Greece.”