Prize for Collaboration and Innovation 2021 goes to three ambitious cybersecurity experts
This year, the University’s Prize for Collaboration and Innovation goes to Olga Torstensson, Malin Bornhager and Muhammad Ahsan Rasool for their work with digital security. They have successfully developed collaborations between academia, the public and private sectors to support society in the battle against cybercrime.
Olga Torstensson, Malin Bornhager and Muhammad Ahsan Rasool are all three lecturers at the School of Information Technology at Halmstad University. They are responsible for the University’s Bachelor’s programme in IT Forensics and Information Security, as well as the Master’s Programme in Network Forensics. They also manage the University’s Cisco Academy and provide commissioned education in cyber security and network technology for various authorities, both Swedish and European.
“It’s great that our work is being recognised! It gives us more energy to continue collaborating with companies and authorities. Receiving this award is a proof that what we do is good for the University”, says Malin Bornhager.
”It’s great that our work is being recognised! It gives us more energy to continue collaborating with companies and authorities.”
Malin Bornhager, one of the recipients of Halmstad University’s Prize for Collaboration and Innovation 2021
Contributes to a safer society
The Prize for Collaboration and Innovation has been awarded annually at Halmstad University since 2017. The prize is awarded to the individual or group of individuals that has been particularly successful in – through collaboration – developing and strengthening the research and education at Halmstad University.
“Congratulations to this year’s winners! Your collaboration with, for example, the Police Authority contributes to a safer society and gives our students the best possible conditions in their future careers,” says Anders Nelson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor with specific responsibility for collaboration, innovation and internationalisation.
Olga Torstensson, Malin Bornhager och Muhammad Ahsan Rasool har tilldelats årets pris för samverkan och innovation.
”Collaboration part of the University’s DNA”
“Collaboration with the surrounding society is in many ways part of Halmstad University's DNA. The goal is to be one of the best universities in Sweden in collaboration. It is the collaborative ambitions and efforts of individual teachers and researchers that create a value for society and the award for collaboration and innovation is a way for the University to recognise and encourage this”, says Anders Nelson.
The Prize for Collaboration and Innovation was awarded during Halmstad University's Academic Ceremony on November 12, 2021.
Text: Anna-Frida Agardson and Louise Wandel
Film: Anna-Frida Agardson
The jury’s citation
In today's society, with growing digital threats, Malin Bornhager, Olga Torstensson and Muhammad Ahsan Rasool successfully run and develop one of the University's most popular educational areas in digital security. Cross-border and long-term collaborations between academia, the public and private sectors are necessary to find common solutions to protect our society. It is precisely such collaborations that the three prize winners work with daily, where the Police Authority is a very important partner. The University regularly develops tailor-made commissioned training for the police and also teaches European police authorities – and other higher education institutions – in cyber security. Malin Bornhager, Olga Torstensson and Muhammad Ahsan Rasool are a driving force in this work.
This year's winners collaborate across subjects, follow a rapidly changing industry and challenge students, for example, through various competitions and ’hackathons’, where students get to test their knowledge outside the ordinary educational framework.
Malin Bornhager and Olga Torstensson have also built up and manage the University’s Cisco Academy, a worldwide collaboration in networking and data communication.”
About the Prize for Collaboration and Innovation
The award will draw attention to successes and initiatives that have to do with utilisation, innovation and collaboration. The prize is awarded to the individual or group of individuals that has been particularly successful in – through collaboration – developing and strengthening the research and education at Halmstad University. The prize has been awarded since 2017. Previous winners are:
- 2020: Frida Stranne
- 2019: Gerry Andersson
- 2018: Karin Weman Josefsson
- 2017: Hans-Erik Eldemark
