Stevens and Ruhr University sign MOU for IT security research

HOBOKEN, N.J. ― Stevens Institute of Technology and The Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany have entered into a partnership for research in the field of IT security. Harold J. Raveche, President of Stevens, and Elmar Weiler, Rector of Ruhr University, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on November 14. The agreement between the two institutes had been reached during the NRW Innovation Minister Andreas Pinkwart's visit to the US.

Stevens President Raveche said, “This is a significant advance in Stevens’ international cooperation and sharing of expertise in this most important area of IT security research. We look forward to a long and fulfilling collaborative relationship.”

Joint research projects are planned, as is the exchange of undergraduates, graduate students and researchers. “Two partners have now come together, each of whom play a leading role in the field of IT security on their home continents,” Pinkwart explained. The administration at the Ruhr University of Bochum says that its Horst Görtz Institute is one of the best groups of researchers and IT security in Europe. “Collaboration will draw more attention to us internationally,” Weiler said.

The agreement followed a December 13 US-German Round Table on IT Security, which featured a talk by Stevens Computer Science Assistant Professor Susanne Wetzel, titled “Security Education in the US Undergraduate Curriculum.”

The round table, which took place at the University Club in Manhattan, was held in conjunction with Pinkwart's official visit to the US.

The meeting explored the potentials, arising from transatlantic alliances among leading players from the US and Germany in IT Security. The goal of the workshop was to highlight the crucial role that IT Security plays as enabler for new technologies, and the challenges that are involved in educating a new generation of specialists in this new discipline.

In addition to Dr. Wetzel, speakers included Professor Pinkwart; Professor Elmar Weiler, Rector of Ruhr University of Bochum; Professor Per Enge, Stanford GPS Research Lab; Professor Christof Paar, Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security, Ruhr University of Bochum; Dr. Josyula R. Rao, IBM T.J. Watson Research; and Barbara Chung, Microsoft. Dr. Peter Levin, CEO, DAFCA, moderated the round table.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

For the latest news about Stevens, please visit StevensNewsService.com.