Though security is a field of study capable of diverse applications in daily life, security science is a young discipline requiring larger inter-disciplinary effort. ESSENTIAL -Evolving Security SciencE through Networked Technologies, Information policy And Law -
seeks to develop security science by addressing two of its main problems: the ad-hoc approach to security research and the growing complexity of the security environment. To do so, ESSENTIAL has set itself two main goals: a) to train inter-disciplinary
security experts and professionals, to tackle security threats in a systematic manner and b) to increase societal resilience and security by addressing in an interdisciplinary manner 15 research topics, each associated with long-standing problems in the field of security science
ranging from modeling security perception and democratizing intelligence to improving security and privacy in data ecosystems.
ESSENTIAL was the first programme of its kind aiming to jointly educate the next generation of interdisciplinary experts in security science, by uniquely exposing the 15 ESRs to: (1) theoretical knowledge and practical expertise in such areas as: (a) the policing and regulation
of information-security technology, and (b) the implementation of policies and legal standards within computing and communication systems; (2) real-world environments in law enforcement, intelligence and industry; (3) strong academic guidance offered by highly qualified supervisors and
mentors; (4) high tech research infrastructures; and (5) a diversity of interdisciplinary research events, such as workshops, conferences, summer/winter schools.
The ESSENTIAL consortium is built upon long-lasting cooperation relations among leading organizations coming from academia, international and national stakeholders and the private sector, many of whom have over 25 years of experience in contributing directly to national, European and UN technology-related policy making.
Objectives
Ultimately, ESSENTIAL aims to advance knowledge through original and independent research, with an emphasis on the stimulation of creativity, innovation and autonomy. In doing so, as a means of addressing some of the challenges arising from the abovementioned developments, ESSENTIAL has defined the following objectives:
Objective 1: To develop the burgeoning field of security science by exploring the following multi- and inter-disciplinary research topics:
• Research Topic 1: Converging Technologies and Networked Ecosystems
• Research Topic 2: Trust and Resilience
• Research Topic 3: Security and Safety in the Digital Society
• Research Topic 4: Governance, Online & Offline Citizenship
Objective 2: To create a common platform of knowledge and language for early stage researchers (ESRs) working in Security Science, with the aim of conveying interdisciplinary skills, by providing doctoral training for 15 ESRs in the field of Security Science, through structured training and research in an internationally recognized networked research environment.
Objective 3: To directly and systematically incorporate a selection of leading small and medium private enterprises from different countries into the ESSENTIAL training activities, in order to: (1) transfer expertise/know-how amongst the Consortium members and to external groups, and (2) ensure that the training offered to the ESRs is in line with the demands of the market.
Objective 4: To improve the attractiveness of research careers by promoting synergies and cooperation between academia, public research centres, SMEs, and governmental and international stakeholders that have common research interests and complementary training activities.
Objective 5: To promote European excellence beyond the borders of the European Union, by ensuring research synergies with others; e.g. Australia. The involvement of non-EU Higher Education Institutes as partners of the ESSENTIAL consortium is of great strategic value for the expansion of the European excellence outside EU borders.
