ProCyD – A Modular Higher Education System in Data Protection and Cybersecurity for Supporting the Digital Transformation in Mozambique and South Africa is an Erasmus+ CBHE (Capacity Building in Higher Education) project launched in 2023, involving Higher Education Institutions, Government Agencies, and Civil Society Entities from South Africa, Germany, Czechia, Italy, and Mozambique. The project aims at introducing or strengthening data protection and cybersecurity in higher education to support the digital transformation in Mozambique and South Africa.
The project aims to support people, the economy, civil society, academia and policymakers in the partner countries in seizing the opportunities of digital transformation and mastering the associated risks. The project intends to make its contribution through a modular system of courses for students and teachers from partner Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The plan is to design and implement courses at different levels in the partner institutions: a general basic qualification course (Awareness Course), as well as new study programs at bachelor’s and master’s level. As a first step, to address the challenge that the partner HEIs lack qualified teaching staff in the areas concerned, 14 members from the partner institutions will benefit from a pilot master’s program with semester abroad at Masaryk University, Czechia during the project’s execution time. This will create an initial pool of experts and lecturers who will ensure the sustainability of the project.
Subsequently, an online master’s program on Data Protection and Cybersecurity will be developed and made available to partner HEIs at an HEI in South Africa, and undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as short courses and workshops on the same subjects, will be introduced at partner institutions.