The Gothic Times

Issue date: 11/25/09 Section: News

Media Credit: njcu.edu

New Jersey City University recently hosted its first annual Northeast Regional Security Education Symposium. The October 16 event featured presentations from five national leaders in the fields of national security, corporate security and information assurance/cyber security.

The University has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education for academic years 2009-2014 by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS).

Ensuring Security in a High Risk World was the subject title of NJCU's inaugural event. Sponsors consisted of S.M. Group International (SMi), a consulting firm active in the engineering, quality management, and environment and information technology fields, International-Matex Tank Terminals (I.M.T.T.) a supplier of large scale industrial liquid handling services, PSEG and the NJCU Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs.

The meeting opened with greetings from NJCU President Dr. Carlos Hernandez, Vice President for University Advancement Khatmeh Osseiran-Hanna and Symposium Program Moderator and Chair of NJCU's Professional Security Studies Department Dr. Tsung Y. "Bill" Soo Hoo.

In a brief interview with The Gothic Times, Dr. Tsung explained how NJCU was selected for the annual event.

According to Dr. Tsung, at first the University was not even on the NSA or USDHS's list for possible hosts.

"We (NJCU) had to apply and prove to the NSA and the DHLS that we were able to meet their standards."

Weysan Dun, special agent in charge of the Newark (NJ) Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was the first speaker of the day. The title of Agent Dun's presentation was The Importance of Community Partnerships to Countering the Current Terrorism Threat. The presentation posited the bureau's latest appraisal regarding the threat of international terrorism to the United States.

Next up was Richard C. Schaeffer, Jr., information assurance director, National Security Agency. Mr. Schaeffer's presentation focused on the best way to secure our nation's information systems and networks and how the NSA's partnership with university circles and business helps to meet today's cyber security challenges.

Marene N. Allison, corporate security executive and member of the Board of Directors for the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), a company that offers educational programs and materials concentrating on a wide range of security interests, finished out the morning session.

Continued...

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