Testimonials
Curious about what it's like to study the Master's in Cyber Security and AI? Read about the experiences of students, teachers and alumni below. What's the atmosphere like, what drives teachers and where will you end up?
Testimonials of students
I would like to mean something to society by helping precisely in the hidden, invisible places.
- Previous education
- Information Security Management (De Haagse Hogeschool)
- Programme
- Cyber Security and AI
- Study start date
- Study end date
Master's student Chris Golemi is studying Cyber Security and AI at Radboud University.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why?
You hear AI more and more on the news or around. It's not just a hype, but really something that keeps growing over the years. In the field, I want to be able to excel above the rest, so that's why I'm doing this Master's.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
Teachers can be quite abstract in the lessons, so as to be an example for students from different backgrounds. But if you ask for clarification, they do so with passion.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
You are learning, so it is logical that some subjects are a bit more difficult at the beginning. I had that with Coalgebra, for example, because my background is not mathematical at all. Watching videos and going through the material works, but it's some effort you put into it.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
As a cyber security and AI expert, I will be helping an organisation find the right AI tools to make its business processes more secure.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
Cyber security and AI are both components that are often forgotten. Nobody thinks about security until a hacker comes in. AI is seen by many as something that will pass again. I would like to mean something to society by helping precisely in those hidden, invisible places.
I greatly appreciate how I was able to curate a personalised curriculum for my own goals.
- Previous education
- BSc Artificial Intelligence (Radboud University)
- Nationality
- German
- Programme
- Cyber Security and AI
- Study start date
- Study end date
Master's student Aliza Reif is studying Cyber Security and AI at Radboud University.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why? How has the programme/specialisation challenged you (in relation to your previous education)?
I like that I get to explore the intersection between AI and cyber security intensely, while being able to choose from a large selection of courses to best fit my own goals for the programme. Given my background, the cyber security courses were more challenging in the beginning but well-taught and incredibly interesting.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere is welcoming, the students are all highly motivated and interested in the topic. The teachers and researchers are always approachable, happy to help, and very enthusiastic to share their research.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
Finding the right balance between courses focussing on AI or cyber security or both was a challenge for me; I wanted to explore as many options as possible, and greatly appreciated how I was able to curate a personalised curriculum for my own goals.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I am writing my thesis about the security of 'Large Language Models' (LLMs)in the context of maritime traffic radio.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
With the rise of AI, it is essential for it to be reliable and safe to use; this Master's degree bridges that gap.
Having people with this degree is more important than ever, given the rapid advancements in cybersecurity and AI.
- Previous education
- Artificial Intelligence (Radboud University)
- Programme
- Cyber Security and AI
- Study start date
- Study end date
Master's student Pien Rooijendijk is studying Cyber Security and AI at Radboud University.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why? How has the programme/specialisation challenged you?
This programme has been more challenging than my previous programme, especially in terms of independent research and critical analysis. While my previous education focused more on theoretical learning, this programme has more focus on problem-solving and discussing real-world problems and scenarios.
Adjusting to this approach was initially difficult, but it has amplified my analytical thinking and gave me confidence in tackling complex problems.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere in class is very supportive and engaging. It is easy to share ideas and work together on projects because of the strong sense of collaboration among the students.
The teachers and researchers are approachable and always willing to help, creating an open learning environment. They are also very open to feedback, which makes the learning experience more dynamic and interactive.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
One of the most challenging aspects of my Master's programme has been the high level of independence required. This programme expects you to work on your own, plan your own research and to take initiative.
Since the programme is relatively new, there aren't always other students to ask questions to. This Master's has helped me to become more independent and better at problem-solving, which is definitely a valuable skill to have.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I have already completed my internship and continued at the same company to work on my Master's thesis. My research focuses on designing a federated learning framework with strict permission controls to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data. The goal is to integrate permission control mechanisms into an LLM-powered search system for documents, ensuring both efficiency and robust security.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
Having people with this degree is more important than ever, given the rapid advancements in cybersecurity and AI. As AI continues to evolve, securing these technologies becomes critical, while at the same time, AI itself can be a powerful tool in enhancing cybersecurity. This intersection creates a growing demand for experts who can navigate both fields.
After getting my Master’s degree, I plan to travel for a while to explore new places and gain new experiences. After that, I want to start a traineeship to further develop my skills and gain hands-on experience in the field.
Testimonials of teachers and researchers
Cyber security cannot exist without AI any more. Anti-malware, antivirus, anti-spam... Viruses and other threats are getting smarter and changing continuously because of AI.
- Programme
- Cyber Security and AI
Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can no longer be seen apart from cyber security. As of September 2023, a new Master's specialisation about digital security combined with AI will start at Radboud University. Stjepan Picek is the coordinator of this programme. He informs us about the content of this new study and tells us why the world needs more experts in this area.
Stjepan Picek finished his double Ph.D. on the topic of cyber security and AI (at Radboud University and the University of Zagreb, Croatia). Since October 2021, he has been working as an Associate Professor at Radboud University.
New Master's specialisation
According to Stjepan Picek, Radboud is a well-recognized University in the cyber security domain. Nowadays, the topics of AI and digital security are more important than ever. There is much artificial intelligence in modern cyber security. However, the current curriculum at Radboud University is still oriented towards either cyber security or AI. Stjepan Picek: ‘At this moment, students pick up some bits and bytes of AI, but they mainly focus on cybersecurity.
On the contrary, there is a strong AI department here, based on Machine Learning. They focus on AI and less on security. Therefore, it became reasonable to offer the students the best of both worlds. In our new Master’s specialisation, we combine a selection of courses in AI and cyber security. We encourage the student to approach both topics from a different angle.’ Stjepan Picek is now working hard on the curriculum, which will start simultaneously with the new academic year.
Cyber security and AI: always together
Cyber security is a huge domain consisting, for example, of systems security, network security, and cryptography, which is a speciality at Radboud University. Stjepan Picek: ‘Cyber security cannot exist without AI any more. Anti-malware, antivirus, anti-spam: it is all about those two. In the past, when there was a threat trying to infect computers, it was relatively easy to recognise and diminish. Nowadays, the virus and other threats are getting smarter and changing continuously because of AI. The most powerful attacks are now made by AI. Many of the things we do here are based on offensive security. This means that we evaluate our security of systems by mounting the most powerful attacks possible. And those powerful attacks are also mostly based on Artificial Intelligence.’
Why is the new Master’s specialisation so important?
‘I’m happy about the new programme, we listened to the students’ wishes, and they can start exploring new trends and threats. When they finish the study, the students will be experts in an extremely important domain. Both research and industry wise.’ Universities and companies are always looking for human knowledge in this technological and innovative area.
Thereby, Stjepan Picek sees an interesting change in focus: ‘Nowadays it is not only about what AI can do for cyber security, but also what cyber security can do for AI. AI is used everywhere, and in all of those places security is important. For example, in hospitals. AI is used in treatments, the challenge is how to make sure the data are correct, and the patients are secure and safe. Thus, the new question is: how can we maintain the security and privacy of AI? This will be one of the topics we will be teaching, and we are the first university in The Netherlands that integrates this in its curriculum.’
This interview was first published on TechGelderland. Images: Linda Verweij.