Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi (4th right); Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H E Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai (5th right); President of National Cyber Security Agency, H E Eng. Abdulrahman bin Ali Al Farahid Al Malki (3rd right); Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi (6th right); President of Qatar University, Dr. Hassan Al Derham (1st right); and other dignitaries during the event held at Raffles Doha hotel, yesterday.
Doha: The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, launched ‘Cyber Security Educational Curriculum’ under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani yesterday.
Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi; Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H E Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai; and NCSA President, H E Eng. Abdulrahman bin Ali Al Farahid Al Malki attended the ceremony. A number of ministers, undersecretaries, and officials from different countries were also present.
The ‘Cyber Security Educational Curriculum’ project aims to achieve a number of goals, the most important of which is to familiarise society in general and children and adolescents in particular with the concept of digital citizenship, which is represented in the responsible, ethical and safe use of information and communication technology.
It aims to educate society about the dangers of the Internet and protecting personal data, raise awareness of general concepts related to cybersecurity and digital safety, and prepare a future generation of Qatari youths capable of dealing efficiently and safely with technological tools.
Minister of Education and Higher Education and Minister of Communications and Information Technology were briefed on the content of the curricula that will be directed to different age groups.
The NCSA Chairman said, “This project comes within the framework of the National Cyber Security Agency’s keenness to promote awareness of cybersecurity risks based on its vision to build a cyber-safe society to face the future challenges that accompany the rapid technological revolution that the world is witnessing.
"Our partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has resulted in this pioneering national project, which is the first of its kind in the region, in terms of targeting students in schools, disabled students, parallel education and literacy in order to ensure the dissemination of cyber awareness in the entire community,” he added.
The project includes launching a digital platform that includes all information about the project, to be available to students at any time, pointing out that the educational cyber security curriculum is presented in a smooth and enjoyable way, consolidating the information to the recipient, and making him look for more, Al Maliki stressed.
The ceremony included launching a digital platform that has visual content related to the curriculum, in addition to showing introductory videos about the project, and honouring the work team that contributed to the implementation of this project, which is the first of its kind in the region.
Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Maha Zayed Al Ruwaili said, “Cybersecurity curriculum is a step in the right direction to ensure that students know the risks that may result from the use of technology, as everyone in this era is increasingly benefiting from technological resources, so the basic steps to keep these resources and their users safe, is through considering cyber security as an important pillar in the educational plans “.
For her part, Director of the National Cyber Excellence Department at NCSA, Dalal Abdulaziz Al Aqeedi said the Agency seeks to build a safe and digitally empowered local community through several initiatives and projects aimed at raising the level of digital safety.
The educational cybersecurity curriculum project includes visual content that provides more than fifty educational animated videos approved by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and are presented in an enjoyable and smooth way inspired by the Qatari national identity.
The videos target students of the three educational stages — primary, preparatory and secondary, and consider the difference in the cognitive level of students according to each age group.
The curriculum also includes a set of posters and infographic designs. NCSA has been keen to formulate a clear vision and select a qualified and experienced team in preparing this kind of educational content.
A panel discussion on the sidelines of the event was held that included three sessions. The first entitled ‘The Role of Educational Curriculum in Enhancing Cybersecurity’, the second dealt with ‘Prospects for Change in the Future of Cybersecurity’, and the third was ‘International Experiences in Enhancing Cybersecurity.’
Each session hosted a group of local and international experts in the fields of cyber security, education and academic curriculum.
