The University of Winchester will be helping to train the people who will protect the nation from future cyber-attacks thanks to a major new funding award.
The University has received £364,000 to expand its BSc Cyber Security undergraduate intake from the beginning of the next academic year (2026-27).
The award, spread over five years, is part of an £80 million joint project between the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Education to boost the number of computing and engineering graduates being equipped with defence-related skills.
At Winchester a new Defence Cyber Schools Engagement Lead will establish links with colleges to create a pathway into an enhanced Cyber Security course designed to align with defence industry requirements outlined in the UK Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CYBOK).
Defence industry professionals with up-to-date knowledge of the sector will be recruited by the University to help design programme content and teach Cyber Security students, passing on their operational experience.
These Industry Teaching Fellows will maintain active links with their defence employer networks, ensuring that collaborative relationships extend beyond formal agreements into day-to-day programme delivery.
A range of defence sector-related site visits and employer engagement events will be part of the course.
Outreach events aimed at raising the profile of the cyber security professions in schools and colleges will include residential experiences for aspiring and underrepresented groups, including women in cyber, and a Sixth Form Cyber Challenge to generate interest among A-level Computer Science students.
Matt Webster, Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Winchester, said: “This award recognises Winchester's strengths in cyber security and our deep regional ties to the defence sector. With it, we'll expand our BSc Cyber Security provision, bring practising industry professionals into the classroom, and give more young people the skills the UK's defence industry urgently needs. It's a real vote of confidence in what our students and staff can deliver."
“Working closely with schools, colleges and employers across Hampshire and Wiltshire, we'll give more students the opportunity to build careers in one of the most important fields for national security."
Winchester already has practical experience of collaborating with defence-related organisations through its computing provision.
The University has delivered degree apprenticeships in partnership with technology companies, involving joint delivery models where employer-led training activities complemented university-based teaching. These partnerships produced graduates embedded in defence-adjacent organisations and familiar with professional working practices in secure environments.
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