Member Article

Eugene Kaspersky receives honorary doctorate and discusses viruses and cyber threats in Armenia

Kaspersky Lab today announces that Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of the anti-virus company, has received an honorary doctorate from the State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA), the country’s leading technical university. During their recent visit to Armenia, Eugene Kaspersky and the company’s top IT security experts met representatives of the education and business community, as well as students from local technical universities. They spoke about current cyber threats present in Armenia and worldwide and discussed the ways Kaspersky Lab is helping to combat them.

“The number of cyber threats is constantly growing, so it is especially important to train more experts who can combat them. The world’s next generation of specialists needs more than just good knowledge of the IT security field and strong practical skills – they also need to be able to think one step ahead and come up with something really new. I am glad to see that today’s students in Armenia are interested in cyber security and are willing to improve and develop in this area. And I’ll be doubly happy if Kaspersky Lab can help them do that,” said Eugene Kaspersky.

One of the highlights of Eugene’s visit was the presentation ceremony during which he received an honorary doctorate for his outstanding services to science. The Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab also took part in the official opening of the Kaspersky Lab Training and Certification Centre within the State Engineering University of Armenia. The centre will help bridge the gap between theoretical and practical education. It also provides future IT security professionals with the necessary knowledge of contemporary technologies, enabling them to gain Kaspersky Lab certification while studying at the university.

“We are deeply appreciative of the role that Kaspersky Lab is playing in the development of information security and the personal contributions Eugene Kaspersky has made as one of the leading experts in information protection. We are sure that Kaspersky Lab’s expertise will help our students become excellent IT professionals,” said Ara Avetisyan, Rector of the State Engineering University of Armenia.

Kaspersky Lab’s successful association with Armenia began four years ago following the signing of a memorandum of understanding entitled ‘Safe Armenia’ with the Ministry of the Economy. This information security project led to the implementation of a number of educational programs in Armenian schools, specialist training for IT administrators in state and commercial organisations and discounted licenses for some Kaspersky Lab products used within government structures.

The cooperation between Kaspersky Lab and the State Engineering University of Armenia began in 2009 when a student of the university won first prize in international conference - CyberSecurity for the Next Generation. After that, the university registered as a member of Kaspersky Lab’s educational programme and signed an agreement on cooperation within the Kaspersky Academy program, which remains in effect. In February 2013, SEUA hosted the latest regional round of CyberSecurity for the Next Generation for Russia and other CIS countries.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alice Collins .