On February 22, we signed a letter of intent regarding cooperation with Marie Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin (UMCS). Its objective is to work together within research and development (R&D) projects and to exchange knowledge and experience in the field of ICT and cybersecurity. This is yet another educational institution with which we want to shape future experts.
One of the main issues in the Polish cybersecurity sector is the insufficient number of specialists. Most of the current professionals are self-taught people who have gained their skills in practice. This is why EXATEL has for several years, been actively supporting initiatives aimed at launching specializations in schools and at universities. The outcome of such activities is the letter of intent, concluded on February 22 by the Rector of UMCS, Prof. Stanisław Michałowski and EXATEL’s Vice-President, Rafał Magryś.
Sustainable development
EXATEL is primarily a company operating within an extremely competitive B2B market. However, it is also state-owned, and as such cannot forget about sustainable development – one of the key aspects in the progress of our country.
“UMCS is joining a group of institutions that will help materialize the vision of a well-planned process of training ICT experts. As practitioners, we see how qualified personnel are really needed. Already today there is great demand for professionals, among others, in the field of cybersecurity. In understanding the increasing role of IT security in business and State security, I am almost certain that this trend will continue” – said Rafał Magryś, Vice-President of the Board at Exatel.
Importantly – this is yet another educational institution in the south-eastern Poland that is currently cooperating with EXATEL. Previously, in 2017, together with the Technical and General Secondary School Complex in Jarosław, we created the first specialist ICT class in that region.
“We are glad the universities want to benefit from our knowledge. We are ICT and cybersecurity practitioners and provide these services to our business and public sector clients. We know that it is the knowledge gained during our daily operations that young people need most” – added Magryś.
We combine business with science
Besides education, an important element in the cooperation between EXATEL and UMCS will be joint research and development projects.
“Polish science has great potential. Indeed, already, world-class research projects are conducted in Poland – especially where theory is sufficient and no complex and extremely costly laboratories are needed. The fundamental reason to combine science and business is that they need each other. Universities can respond to business needs and can contribute to successful implementations of new projects, whereas industry shows universities what personnel and which basic and application research it requires” – said dr inż. Teodor Buchner, expert for research and development projects at EXATEL, in an interview for Rzeczpospolita last year.
It is important that both institutions have extensive experience in this field. The Lublin University has, among others, been conducting research of fibre-optic connections since 1978, thus becoming one of the pioneers of modern telecommunications. EXATEL is currently working on 3 R&D projects. The first is a Polish operator-class anti-DDoS called TAMA, implemented in cooperation with the Warsaw University of Technology. The second is SDNbox – a software-defined network device. Depending on the controller mechanisms or installed software, the online device will be able to play radically different functions – it can be a router, switch, server or an element of protection against cyberthreats – and this is just the beginning.
