As an award-winning global cybersecurity expert with over 25 years of experience leading multi-institutional, cross-sector teams to drive digital transformation and strategic innovation forward, I have witnessed the dynamic evolution of the relationship between cybersecurity and the adjacent industries over the years. As a researcher and educator, it is a great honor to serve as the Director of the Shahal M. Khan Cyber and Economic Security Institute.

My journey in this field has been marked by a commitment to strengthening cybersecurity posture, diversifying and implementing robust workforce development programs, and building an equitable global cyber community. When looking at the evolving relationship between cyber security research and education, the one word that continuously comes to my mind is innovation. I believe that innovation occurs at the edges where industries are ecosystems and integration occur across the peripheries.

Trying to homogeneously integrate cybersecurity into all institutions is a grand challenge, and that is why the Khan Institute has committed to propelling innovation forward in multiple ways. By continuing to expand access to hands-on cybersecurity training opportunities to all students, regardless of discipline, we are diversifying the next generation of cyber industry. By designing programs that are shaped around people who are already engaged in other sectors and want to move into cybersecurity, we are allowing them to be equally interested and excited by change and the integration of cyber – creating a more equitable global cyber community. By grounding technical cyber exercises in the context of national security and economic policy, we are transforming cyber education and helping equip every American with foundational cyber skills.

I believe in the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, the importance of lifelong learning, and the critical role of cybersecurity and economics in our advancing and fast paced digital world. As we continue to move forward, I invite you to be curious and become engaged with all the Khan Institute will offer. I am looking forward to collaborating and working with you, and for all that lies ahead.