What's New this Summer? Consortium and Programs

AU/Khan Institute Partners with RIT for Summer Program

AU/Khan Institute is partnering with RIT's Summer 2024 Cyber Visiting Student Research Program on a pilot program which leverages AU faculty to bring cyber public policy seminars to this otherwise technically focused curriculum. Additionally, as part of this pilot, AU policy students will be integrated into the programming to allow cross pollination of the technical and non-technical future leaders in cyber security. For more information about this program or to get involved for summer 2025 please contact khaninstitute@american.edu.

SPA Graduate Certificate in Cyber Policy Management Now Part of National Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics

The School of Public Affair's graduate certificate in cyber policy and management is now officially part of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. This consortium is a network of universities, colleges, community colleges and ally organizations committed to cybersecurity for the public good. AU's graduate program is currently seeking funding to support the expansion of its practicum offerings for graduate students to specifically assist underserved entities focused on protecting critical infrastructure. This program is spearheaaded by Professor Sasha O'Connell who is also the Khan Institute Director of Instructional Design. For more information about getting involved as a client or supporting this work with funding please contact her directly at sashaoc@american.edu.

A $5 Million Gift to American University Advances Cyber and Economic Security

The Shahal M. Khan Cyber and Economic Security Institute (Khan Institute) is launching with a $5 million gift from Shahal M. Khan, SIS/BA ’95, and a partnership with Cyber Range Solutions (CRS).

The Khan Institute will offer training courses, guest speaker lectures, and workshops in cyber incident response, network security, and the protection of vital infrastructure. The institute builds on AU’s interdisciplinary approach to drive research across the university community and builds on the strong foundation in inclusive technology policy.

The Khan Institute and CRS will develop a state-of-the-art cybersecurity center of excellence featuring a cyber range, which is a facility where simulated cyber training activities and research can be conducted in order to train and instruct students and cyber security professionals on incident response and how to secure networks and protect critical, high-value assets and infrastructure against cyberattacks.

Recent Events

Sharing Perspectives on How to Bridge the Digital Divide - A conversation with ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan-Martin

On March 19, 2024, the Inclusive Tech Policy Initiative and (ITP) and the Shahal M. Khan Institute hosted ITU Secretary General and AU alum, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, for a breakfast event and discussion about bridging the digital divide. AU students, faculty, and staff came together to discuss AI biases, inequalities in the cyber space, and how to increase digital connectivity while also addressing the rise of cybercrime. Thank you to CrowdStrike for sponsoring the breakfast.

Phishing Prevention: A Symposium on Protecting Consumers and Businesses

The US Chamber of Commerce and the Shahal M. Khan Institute partnered on organizing the 2024 Phishing Symposium’s. On March 20, 2024, this symposium brought together anti-phishing experts, consumer groups, financial industry representatives, public safety agencies, and legislative staffers to discuss the current state of play and mitigation strategies. Conversations included topics such as how to starve cybercriminals of the technical resources needed to conduct attacks, what industry-led initiatives can address this problem, and what policy and legislative approaches are needed.