Forging a New Discipline: Assistant Dean Isak Nti Asare on the Development of Indiana University's Cybersecurity and Global Policy Program

This post was created following a discussion with Isak Nti Asare of the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University Bloomington in Bloomington, Indiana. To learn more about the Hamilton Lugar School, head to the bottom of the article!

*The information shared is only for context and does not constitute an official endorsement of Internatnotes Blog.

Introduction

As I continue searching for deeper clarity into the fields of cybersecurity and statecraft, I had a desire to speak with the individuals innovating correlated fields themselves, for if I sought to understand the domains, I held a firm conviction that I should come to learn these people themselves. 

Opportunely, a new discovery had been displayed on my laptop screen: the University of Indiana’s trailblazing undergraduate program in cybersecurity and global policy, an interdepartmental major between their highly accredited Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, and Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.  The program itself, launched five years ago, now includes over 300 students and has been classified as a “valuable pathway” by USA Today. 

In recognition of this trailblazing educational opportunity, I spoke with the Hamilton Lugar School’s Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs, Isak Nti Asare, who is a co-director of the Cybersecurity and Global Policy Program. 

The Birth of a Degree

Asare, a graduate of the University of Indiana at Bloomington himself, joined as a faculty member in 2019 as part of the Language Workshop program at IU. The center itself, founded in 1950, serves as an institution for cultural and language learning for the university’s students and broader community, complementing the university’s history of teaching over eighty languages, such as Finnish, Pastho, Vietnamesse, ranging from each and every corner of the globe. 

Although the program itself has been prevalent on the Bloomington campus for over 75 years, it wasn’t until recently that the institution realized its benefit, particularly in the cyber field. This sparked interest for Asare, who claims that they “started with a very simple thought, which was wouldn't it be cool if, you know, our cybersecurity students also spoke Russian.” This line of thought illustrates the prominence of Russian actors in the cybersecurity field, and could aid American students in interpreting and mitigating threats in their future careers. 

Subsequently, the development of the new pathway began, but Asare and his colleagues came across one prominent issue: how to maintain the technical necessities of a computing degree in addition to thorough teachings of policy, law, and language. With these requirements in mind, the initial plans began to reflect a singular objective. Asare explains that this goal was “what would it really look like if they did if students got depth and breadth in both areas,” and this was put in place to ensure that this path would still very much be a technical degree, and therefore, grant the same opportunities for the program’s graduates.

The difference was that the program’s graduates, who Asare claims to be “more prepared than [students with] a 30 credit master’s degree,” could enter the fields of diplomacy with an innovative, cyber-related perspective. This could be due to the length of the programs themselves and the greater knowledge gained by undergraduates through programs such as the IU Cybersecurity Clinic, where students are able to work with legitimate clients in the university’s area. 

This degree continues to build on the university’s emphasis on cybersecurity education, as it now compliments a master’s degree program in cybersecurity risk management, blending the fields of computing, law, and business, which was founded two years prior to undergraduate program. 

The Cybersecurity and Global Policy degree has also introduced many women to the field, as I was told that the program is currently evenly split between genders. This is one of many insights displaying Indiana’s commitment to women in tech. The university also holds a Center of Excellence for Women and Technology, and the Women in Cybersecurity and Women in Computing clubs.

The Importance of Cultural Education and Language in Cybersecurity

In my discussion with Asare, I wanted to delve more into the original idea of the program: building a tech foundation with a global mindset. Specifically, I wanted to understand how he viewed its benefits in the rapidly evolving field. 

In response, I was faced with an initial precedent. The idea that “technology is a reflection of the people that make it,” and furthermore, tools are required to be seen in their social context. Moreover, when you have a global internet and field reflecting a plethora of backgrounds, conflicts are inevitable. 

A few aspects of our conversation I found distinctly particular included those that referred back to my earliest learnings of the global-cyber incidents, such as Stuxnet, the Sony Pictures Entertainment Hack, and the Estonian DDoS attacks. 

Specifically regarding the ladder, Asare and I reviewed the occurrences of the incident in this light. On April 27th, 2007, after much unrest in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, a bronze soldier statue depicting the country’s soviet era was removed from a park in the central Tallinn region of Tõnismägi to the Tallinn Military Cemetery. 

The decision was made due to its conflicting symbolism of Soviet occupation in the country itself and formed public conflict on its reflection of previous times. For some, it reminded them of the distress they were under while a part of the Soviet Union, while ethnic Russians in Estonian interpreted the landmark as a salute to the Red Army that protected the state against Nazi Germany.

Nevertheless, when it was moved, Estonia was consequently hit with exhausting amounts of data, getting rid of public access to state and commercial websites for weeks. In order to get rid of the situation, the state had to ban outside online traffic in order to reel in online traffic.

In that instance, there were a lot of cultural and social issues in context. For one to fully comprehend the reason for this attack, they would have to learn of the brief relation of Russia and Estonia, in addition to the ethnic populations of Estonia that led to much of the statue’s ambivalence. 

This isn’t a singular trend. It’s found countless scenarios. The reason behind various incidents in business and defense consist of culture, and by dismissing it, according to Asare, we’re missing a large piece of an important puzzle. Hence, the new degree program will begin to fill in the gaps to this emerging intersection in the industry.

Ultimately, my discussion was an insightful experience, as I was able to learn how educational centers are further prepping their students for a future in cybersecurity through a social perspective. 

What is the Hamilton Lugar School? The Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University Bloomington is a highly distinguished international affairs school, renowned for its deep specialization in languages and area studies, offering over 80 foreign languages. Dedicated to equipping students with the cultural fluency and policy expertise needed for global challenges, the school offers unique degrees such as the BA in International Law and Institutions and the BS in Cybersecurity and Global Policy, combining technical skills with crucial policy and ethical frameworks.