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.