• CYBERSECURITYCollegiate Cyber Defenders Shine in Inaugural Conquer the Hill — Command Edition Competition

    By Michael Kooi

    Seventy-five college students competed to test their skills in the fundamentals of IT and cybersecurity infrastructure. The DOE’s CyberForce Program aims to help develop a pipeline of skilled cyber defenders for the energy sector through competitions, webinars, career fairs, and resources for building skills.

  • NUCLEAR SUBSDiving into Nuclear Submarines

    By Peter Reuell

    In 2021, the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia formed a partnership, dubbed AUKUS, which will allow the Royal Australian Navy to purchase several nuclear-powered submarines in an effort to modernize their fleet. Building a nuclear submarine program from scratch is anything but easy, so the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering has created a course for the Australian Submarine Agency.

  • CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION$2.6 Million NSF Grant for FAU’s CyberCorps Student Scholarship Program

    A $2.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will allow FAU to establish a scholarship program in the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity. The program is managed by the NSF and DHS. Designed to increase the volume and strength of the nation’s cybersecurity workforce, the program provides full scholarships and stipends to students pursuing studies at the intersection of cybersecurity and AI.

  • CHINA WATCHCyber 'Kidnapping' Scams Target Chinese Students Around the World

    By Liam Scott and Tracy Liu

    A recent cyber kidnapping incident involving a Chinese exchange student in Utah appears to be part of an international pattern in which unknown perpetrators, often masquerading as Chinese police or government officials, target Chinese students around the world and extort their families for upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.

  • CYBERSECURITYWhy Federal Efforts to Protect Schools from Cybersecurity Threats Fall Short

    By Nir Kshetri

    In August 2023, the White House announced a plan to bolster cybersecurity in K-12 schools – and with good reason. Between 2018 and mid-September 2023, there were 386 recorded cyberattacks in the U.S. education sector and cost those schools $35.1 billion. K-12 schools were the primary target. While the steps taken by the White House are positive, as someone who teaches and conducts research about cybersecurity, I don’t believe the proposed measures are enough to protect schools from cyberthreats.

  • LANGUAGES & SECURITYFewer U.S. College Students Are Studying a Foreign Language − and That Spells Trouble for National Security

    By Deborah Cohn

    In 1958, following the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, the National Defense Education Act authorized funding to strengthen U.S. education in language instruction, in addition to math and science. More than six decades later, a new Modern Language Association report is raising concerns about America’s foreign language capabilities anew. Having fewer U.S. college students who learn a foreign language creates greater risks for national security.

  • CYBERSECURITY EDUCATIONCyber Defenders: Interns Take on National Security Challenges

    By Mollie Rappe

    Over the past two decades, nearly 500 undergraduates and graduate students in cybersecurity, computer science, computer engineering and related fields have worked on research projects, attended training courses and technical tours while receiving mentorship and unparalleled networking opportunities.

  • PANDEMIC LOSSESAn Experiment to Fight Pandemic-Era Learning Loss Launches in Richmond

    By Alec MacGillis

    After intense opposition and skepticism, two elementary schools opened 20 days early to help students make up for what they missed during the time of remote learning. The first question: Would kids show up in the middle of summer for extra schooling?

  • CYBEREDUCATIONTraining Students to Succeed in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”

    Transformational changes are already underway in the manufacturing industry as technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart devices from the “fourth industrial revolution” or Industry 4.0., inspire a digital-first approach to engineering. University of Missouri researchers are using a $1 million grant to support the development of an Industry 4.0 lab, training engineering students for the future of digitization in manufacturing.

  • CYBERSECURITY EDUCATIONVirtual City Prepares Students for Future of Cybersecurity

    By Logan Burtch-Buus

    CyberApolis is a virtual city used to train the next generation of cyber professionals to address national security concerns. The “city” includes a bank, hospital, large retailer, water company, power companies, an underground hacker community, an organized crime family and a growing number of smaller retailers.

  • CYERSECURITY WORKFORCENSF Renews Cybersecurity Workforce Development Projects

    The U.S. National Science Foundation CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program is renewing funding for seven academic institutions, providing more than $24 million over the next four years. For over 20 years, the CyberCorps SFS program has played an important critical role in developing the U.S. cybersecurity workforce.

  • CHINA WATCHHow U.S. Colleges, Universities Can Mitigate Risks Related to Foreign-Funded Language and Culture Institutes

    A new report from the National Academies recommends steps that U.S. colleges and universities can take to identify and mitigate risks associated with foreign-funded language and culture institutes on campuses. The report follows one released in January that examined Confucius Institutes — Chinese government-funded language and culture centers.

  • PANDEMIC SCHOOL-CLOSURE COSTSCan America’s Students Recover What They Lost During the Pandemic?

    By Alec MacGillis

    Disastrous test scores increasingly show how steep a toll the COVID-19 era exacted on students, particularly minorities. Schools are grappling with how to catch up, and the experience of one city shows how intractable the obstacles are.

  • NUCLEAR POWERTesting Gaming Technology to Train Nuclear Workforce

    By Kristen Mally Dean

    Video game software paired with high-tech hard hats can bridge theory and reality to engage a new generation of workers. Argonne engineers tested extended reality tools at the nation’s largest liquid metal test facility.

  • NUCLEAR POWERPreparing Students for the New Nuclear

    By Kara Baskin

    Nuclear power has gained greater recognition as a zero-emission energy source, and an MIT program trains leaders for a rapidly evolving industry.