Cybersecurity Center opens at Al-Ahliyya Amman University

Dr. Maher al-Hourani, chairman of the board of directors at Al-Ahliyya Amman University, opened the university's Cybersecurity Center in partnership with Fortinet and Umniah Telecom.Al-Hourani said that the Cybersecurity Center is the product of a years-long study aiming at its establishment.Dr. Al-Hourani added: Since the opening of B.A. major in Networks and Information Security at the university, we have been thinking of taking a further step through linking the academic track with the practical path, because the future is promising for cybersecurity. The global market needs about 2 million jobs in this field. So, we need to develop ourselves and our students, and provide them with technical skills in this field. The idea was to establish Cybersecurity Center in partnership with international and national companies because we cannot move forward in this field alone.Al-Hourani pointed out that international companies have great experience, and we had partnerships with Umniah Telecom, Fortinet, and other international companies. These partnerships resulted in the establishment of the center where students will be trained and awarded international degrees, in addition to Al-Ahliyya Amman University degree, that qualifies them for work in any country in the world. We have recently opened an M.A. degree program in cybersecurity, and we will continue to keep up with developments in this field.For his part, University President Dr. Sari Hamdan said that information security has become a pressing need in all sectors, public or private. Thus, granting academic certificates in this Center is a step in the right direction, as the main goal of the university is to improve the product for the labor market, so that students, and anyone wanting to be ready for the labor market, may have a vital role.Salah Al-Isawi, Fortinet's regional director for the Middle East and Iraq, said Fortinet has a large market share and value, locally, regionally, and globally.He pointed out that Jordan's market is a promising one, not only commercially, but also in labor force. One of the societal responsibilities of Fortinet is to establish academies in universities and non-profit organizations.He pointed out that what makes this academy stand out is not only providing educational value for teachers and students, but also sponsoring the academic certificate until the student graduates fully trained and qualified for the labor market.Ziad Shatara, CEO of Umniah, said that this partnership is a national initiative, and an important one, that supports the youth of the country and qualifies them for the labor market in the field of cybersecurity. This field has recently gained more demand, with 2 million job opportunities, that contribute to reducing unemployment rates.For his part, Assistant President Dr. Anas Al Saud said the center was established this year in partnership with the international companies Umniah and Fortinet with the aim of connecting the private sector with the public and academic sectors, and qualifying students to deal with cybersecurity threats, noting that a group of students have been sent on scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies in this field because these disciplines need qualified cadres capable of dealing with cybersecurity, especially since it is a recent science and is on great demand, locally and globally.