Open Distributed European virtual Campus on ICT Security Erasmus Project

Project Title

Open Distributed European virtual Campus on ICT Security

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

Increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks are a growing threat to organisational networks and ultimately to the economy, to national and international security. The need for ICT expertise to defend against these attacks and to enforce security is clearly identified. Consequently, the demand for skilled network security professionals is set to accelerate dramatically.
The DECAMP Project caters effectively to this trend. It pioneers the creation and implementation of a new model for an open technology online campus. It is carried out by a strategic partnership between specially selected computer sciences departments of 6 EU universities. Each has an internationalization strategy aiming to attract foreign students and teachers.

As an open platform, DECAMP features innovative network blended-learning online courses to equip European students with new key competence. They will participate in a cutting-edge e-learning environment supported by modern e-learning technologies. DECAMP is also attractive to IT professionals who want to improve their ICT security knowledge.

The Consortium consists of Munich University of Applied Sciences (MUAS), the 2nd largest UAS in Germany, University Politehnica Bucharest (UPB), the most prestigious Romanian technical university, University of Padua (UNIPD), the 2nd oldest in the world, University of South Wales (USW), UK, supporting students’ entrepreneurial spirit, Helsinki Metropolia UAS (MET), one of the most international Finnish UAS, University of Cantabria (UC), a young dynamic university awarded as ‘International Excellence Campus’. All have a high expertise in ICT security areas and strategically complement each other. Siemens AG, Germany, Info World s.r.l., Romania, and Aix-Marseille University, France, will support the strategic partnership as associated partners.

The Aims of this strategic partnership:
• enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offer in ICT security in European HEIs,
• increase EU-students ICT security skills and cross-border collaboration by virtual “mobility”,
• foster each DECAMP partner’s internationalisation strategy.

These aims lead to the following Objectives:
1. creating innovative practically-oriented blended-learning online network security courses for international collaborative learning, applying student-centred pedagogical strategies,
2. creating innovative hands-on remote virtual and real labs,
3. developing a scalable online campus platform by integrating heterogeneous virtual lab environments and e-learning platforms for distributed courses in one “virtual campus”,
4. proving the feasibility of DECAMP platform and the learning outcomes of the developed courses,
5. integrating the developed courses into the partner HEIs’ curricula (see Letters of Intent),
6. ensuring the efficient recognition of cross-institutional ECTS credits (see Letters of Intent),
7. ensuring effective dissemination of the DECAMP Project to attract EU students,
8. enabling the DECAMP sustainability.

The DECAMP courses cover IT-security aspects in:
• network management and computer networks (MUAS),
• eHealth systems (UPB),
• Wireless networking (UNIPD),
• Applied forensics (USW),
• WEB application (MET),
• Cloud networking (UC).

They will be implemented via the DECAMP distributed platform consisting of:
– Course User Admission and Information System (CUAS) comprising the authentication and registration system of EU students and teaching staff,
– University Virtual Learning Platform (UVLP) at each partner comprising course materials and link to the Virtual Lab Platforms (VLP),
– VLP and Virtual Real Equipment Platform at each partner including the soft- and hardware support of all types of remote labs offered in the courses.

Results and Impacts envisioned:
• contributing to rectifying the underrepresented field of practically oriented ICT security in university curricula in response to the huge industry demand;
• amplifying partner HEIs teaching and technical resources offering courses online not taught at their home university. Thus effectively reduce the costs incurred in replicating courses and labs at the partner HEIs;
• transferring know-how to European students in designing, developing and implementing network security policies and procedures and in technical English;
• enhancing each partner HEIs international profile by participating in academic international cross-border collaboration;
• using the developed virtual labs for Bachelor/Master projects and R&D;
• steadily increasing numbers of partner HEI students taking DECAMP courses for ECTS-credits;
• accessing DECAMP courses and materials, free of charge to European HEI students and staff;
• effectively disseminating DECAMP;
• ensuring DECAMP’s sustainability.
The longer term benefits: extension of the strategic partnership beyond Project life time by further cooperation, e.g. joint European Ph.D. advising, joint research projects, jointly taught intensive courses.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 414818 Eur

Project Coordinator

HOCHSCHULE FUR ANGEWANDTE WISSENSCHAFTEN MUNCHEN & Country: DE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA
• UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES PRIFYSGOLDE CYMRU
• METROPOLIA AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY