Cyber expert gives industry insight at SCEBE Celebration

The importance of cyber security and the future of the industry were outlined by Eamonn Keane at last night's (April 25) annual School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment Celebration.

Eamonn, who is Global Director of Forensics and Incident Response at Systal Technology Solutions, was keynote speaker at the event, which celebrated the achievements of the School over the past year and also the outstanding academic success of students, with more than 50 awards supported by industry partners and professional bodies.

Eamonn told the audience: “As we face an unpredictable and rapidly evolving future, we must continue to work collaboratively to ensure we have a continuous pipeline of diverse, skilled and innovative young talent trained for the changing needs of industry.

“We very often speak in this industry of process and technology and, while processes and technology have their place, our greatest strength and asset is our people. We must continue to support excellent initiatives such as modern and graduate apprenticeships, internships and similar initiatives to support young people from a very early age to ensure we have a steady supply of talent for the future. I would also like to extend my sincere congratulations to all our prize-winners with continued success and happiness in their future endeavours.”

Following an introduction by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Steve Decent, Professor Carl Schaschke, Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said: “Industry engagement is an important part of the work of the School in ensuring that we continue to develop work-ready graduates who have all the skills and qualities required to become future industry leaders, as well as partnering together to address the STEAM skills and gender gap.

“I would like to thank our donors, our academic and our administrative staff for all their support, and I offer my congratulations to all prize winners.”

An update was also given on the fund established by Glasgow Caledonian in 2018 to support outreach projects and scholarships in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).

Jillian Watt, Director of the GCU Foundation, said: “The STEAM fund enables us to deliver outreach activity in partnership with industry that provides tangible results, as well as building on our programme of STEAM scholarships and awards to help drive forward a skilled and diverse workforce for the future.”

Last night's celebration brought together graduates, students and academics from across the School who were joined by key stakeholders, including industry leaders and professional institutions, to recognise success in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Property Management, Civil, Mechanical, Electronic and Environmental programmes, Health and Safety, Forensic Investigation, Networking and Computing Web Systems Development, and Digital Security.

You can see a list of all the award winners in the event brochure here.