
With the support of:



The scholarship application process for the Executive Master in Cybersecurity Management programme, starting in January 2025, is now complete. We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Women4Cyber & Solvay Lifelong Learning Half Scholarship:
🔸 Stella Dineva, Cybersecurity Expert, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) & Committee of the Regions (CoR)
🔸 Betty Godier, Engineering Director, Tech industry
🔸 Josephina Haex, ICT Director, Federal Public Service Policy & Support
🔸 Vanessza Hegykozi, Expert on Defensive Cyberspace Operations Management, NATO
🔸 Dominika Prabucka, Information & Data Governance Expert, Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH
Congratulations to our winners! We look forward to seeing the impact these exceptional professionals will make in the field of cybersecurity.
Applications for the 2025 scholarship will open next year, with details to be shared through our social media channels, website, and newsletter. Stay tuned for your opportunity to apply!
Who is the programme aimed at?
Profile
This programme is intended for professionals requiring managerial and practical knowledge of the six domains representing the pillars of cybersecurity activities and management practices.
Key admissions criteria
- At least 5 years as a digital or cybersecurity manager
- Actively involved in digital or cybersecurity activities and decision-making.
Full Scholarship recipient from the 2023 edition
My expectations were high. I knew already that it would be something advanced but it took me by surprise how great it is to be among these top level cyber managers and experts. You get to meet a lot of people who work in the field that otherwise you wouldn’t. I get to spend time with the best of the best in the cyber world and learn a lot. Definitely worth applying for the programme. I managed to do it from Montenegro so everything is possible!
Overview of the programme
This programme is intended for professionals requiring managerial and practical knowledge of the six domains representing the pillars of cybersecurity activities and management practices.
A combination of 6 bodies of knowledge
1. Information Security Leadership
January – February
The core management activities of a modern information security leader includes the security governance process, the risk management process, the program management process and the incident management process. This module will cover the job description of a typical CISO today and where the CISO fits within the organisation including reporting lines and responsibilities, skills and expertise; talk about the typical challenges CISO’s face in their role
4. Security Operations
September – October
This module will build upon the concepts of the previous modules where Information Security Governance, the Implementation of Security Controls, implementing a Secure Architecture are key building blocks to set up a qualitative Security Operations team.
2. Security Controls
March – April
This module will take participants through the process of analysing context, defining scope, modelling threats, defining security controls and requirements, considering the solution space for controls, including technologies and operating models, and then finally evaluating risk (Inherent vs. Residual) and anchoring in policy, providing assurance that the controls operate as intended, e.g., for the purpose of internal or external assurance obligations or certification. This part builds on concepts introduced in module 1
(Information Security Leadership).
5. Cybersecurity Battleground
November – December
Cybersecurity management practices require the knowledge of own business, its functional and technical vulnerabilities and the threat landscape that needs to be addressed. The capabilities that require building cybersecurity capacity includes Identification, Protection, Detection, Response and Recovery techniques and processes.
3. Security Architecture
May – June
Often people talk about “security-by-design” or “privacy-by-design”. Indeed, security cannot be “bolted on” at a later stage effectively. The better security is embedded “by design” in all layers of your organization’s business, enterprise, and
solution architecture and the better it is embedded in your design/delivery as well as run and operations, the better you will be able to understand your security posture and outstanding gaps and risks.
6. General Management
Spread over the year
This module will take participants through the basics of General Management dedicated to Cybersecurity and Digital professionals. There will be four parts: Finance, Strategy, Leadership and Human Capital. In the first part, participants will better understand the art and the language of finance. The topics that should be reviewed are the challenges of the income statement, the balance
sheet, cash, financial ratios, return on investment and working capital.
More programme feautures
Blended and Hybrid education model
The first five modules are delivered in two months each with a combination of self-paced and ex-cathedra class on-site (also available in virtual/online format for those unable to attend physically). Blended Learning is applied for each module as follows:
Part 1 (Acquire in an offline learning mode): Plan for a minimum of 12 hours of self-learning where participants obtain self-study resources.
Part 2 (Evaluate): Short self evaluation survey before attending on-site classes.
Part 3 (Build expertise): Attend onsite classes and workshops that are also available remotely.
Part 4 (Group Case study): Work in groups on a business case addressing specific cases related to each module.
Part 5 (Final delivery): Participants present their business cases to a jury and pass a knowledge-based exam.
Adjusted to your own needs and career targets
A career development tool is available to participants to assess their competences against current or targeted roles.
On that basis, they adjust their education experience to focus on those domains that they require most.
As a result, both phases 1 (Acquire) and 4 (Case study) are required to address those focus areas.
A personal acceptance interview is conducted to formalise the study plan and to level up the participants.
An exit interview is conducted at the graduation time.
November 20, 2024 18:30 CET
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS
Participants must meet the key admission criteria:
-
- At least 5 years as a digital or cybersecurity manager
- Actively involved in digital or cybersecurity activities and decision-making
- Non EU participants are encouraged to apply
Participants must be able to follow the programme if accepted
The recipients of the scholarship will be selected based on:
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- Motivation
- Capacity
- Impact
- Availability
- Values
This will be assessed through their application form
APPLICATION PROCESS
All participants must apply for the scholarship through the application form.
The selection process consists of two phases:
Phase 1: Application and Jury Evaluation
Participants must complete the application form, which consists of seven distinct sections:
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- Personal Information
- Motivation
- Capacity
- Impact
- Availability
- Values
- Video (3 minutes answering two questions about yourself)
Phase 2: Interview
Candidates selected from Phase 1 will be invited to a brief interview.
The application deadline is October 6, 2024, at 23:00 CET.
TIMELINE
- August 12, 2024: Scholarship application open
- October 6, 2024: Deadline for applications 23:00 CET
- October 22 -30: Phase 2: Interview
- October 31, 2024: Announcement of the winners of the scholarship
- Ocotber 31 – November 31: Additional enrolment steps
- Jan 6, 2025: Start of the programme
- May 2025: Award ceremony at CyberSec Europe (TBC)
JURY


Ana Ferreira
Healthcare Security and Privacy Senior Researcher – CINTESIS@RISE/FMUP | Member of ENISA AG | EU Top100 Women in Cyber | Mentor | Women4Cyber PT Co-Founder | PT (ISC)2 Chapter Co-Founder


Georges Ataya
SBS-EM
Professor at Solvay Brussels School and Vice-President of the Cybersecurity Coalition
Academic Director


Frédéric Roos
SBS-EM
Academic Programme Manager
Academic Director


Nina Olesen
Women4Cyber
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Curiosities about Solvay Business School
Solvay Business School was created in 1903 (120 years ago) and in 1927 it hosted the legendary meeting with one the first prestigious women in tech among all other scientists, Marie Curie.


First Solvay Conference (1911), Curie (seated, second from right) confers with Henri Poincaré; standing, fourth from right, is Rutherford; second from right, Einstein; far right, Paul Langevin


“1927 SOLVAY CONGRESS in Brussels bringing together atomic theoreticians”. In the front row, Max Planck was second from left next to Marie Curie, Albert Einstein fifth in the second row, and Nils Bohr at far right.


With the support of:


