State’s oldest engg college gets 1.5-cr cybersecurity centre

Vadodara: Gujarat's oldest engineering college — Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya (BVM) in Vallabh Vidyanagar — has set up a Rs 1.5-crore cybersecurity centre of excellence (CoE) in its information technology department, with support from global cybersecurity company Sophos, as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of the latter.The initiative aim to strengthen industry-academia collaboration and equip students with job-ready skills in one of the fastest-growing domains of the digital era.
The centre was recently inaugurated in the presence of Charutar Vidya Mandal (CVM) chairman Bhikhu Patel, Sophos director Sunil Rathod, among others.BVM principal Dr Vinay J Patel said the facility was established to give students hands-on training, professional certifications and direct industry exposure in cybersecurity.He said the CSR-supported investment marked a significant milestone for both BVM and Charutar Vidya Mandal and helped produce skilled professionals capable of tackling modern digital security challenges at national and global levels.The centre has high-performance computing facilities, specialized cyber security hardware and licensed software from Sophos, enabling students to work in simulated real-world cybersecurity environments using industry-standard tools and technologies.BVM's IT head Dr Keyur Brahmbhatt said the CoE will open new academic and professional avenues, including proposed honours and minor specialization programmes in cybersecurity, internships, value-added courses and certification programmes recognized by Sophos. Students will also get opportunities for in-house internships, live cyber-attack simulations, real-world projects and possible placements with the company.Regular expert talks, workshops and technical sessions by industry professionals are planned to ensure continuous skill development, officials said.