Qatar Cyber Security Curriculum Gains International Recognition

Qatar is implementing a revolutionary program for cybersecurity education through its National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), which is currently running in 433 schools across Qatar. The program is implemented in public, private, community, and special needs schools and is a major step towards establishing an educated and digitally conscious generation.

According to Dalal Al Aqeedi, Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy at the NCSA, taking part in the “Educational Cybersecurity Curricula” project has been received well locally and internationally. Hundreds of schools have taken part in the program, which has now reached thousands of students. The curriculum is delivered to the students through open-access digital platforms, and more than 583,000 students have accessed the material worldwide – this is described as one of Qatar’s greatest educational exports. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar is working to educate students primed for university about safe digital practices. The educational materials are delivered through video, posters, infographics, and various other modes of communicating the materials to the students in an engaging way. Students participating in the program will learn to identify cyber threats, secure personal information, and develop positive internet habits. In a truly unique manner, the educational materials referred back to Qatari culture. For example, every lesson had Qatari-inspired characters and stories related to local social life that helped students relate better to the lesson content.

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This culturally appropriate model has generated interest in other Gulf countries.  For example, Kuwait plans to roll out the curriculum to students in its schools next year. Recently, Qatar received an award from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in recognition of the program’s international quality. Al Aqeedi emphasized that the award is indicative of the formal commitment to safeguarding their youth’s digital safety and awareness.