Campus life [2025-12-22]

Cyber agreement between NCU and Exea

— Marcin Behrendt

The Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and Exea Data Center are joining forces in the field of cyber security. Rector Prof. Andrzej Tretyn and Magdalena Mike, President of Exea Data Center company signed a cooperation agreement inaugurating a paid internship programme for students interested in data protection.

The initiative combines the university's scientific resources with the operational business experience of Exea Data Center, whose teams of specialists work on a daily basis with IT threats and systems protecting administration and business in the region.'We will act boldly, innovatively and, above all, effectively,' says Magdalena Mike. "I am convinced that this will be a model that will have a real impact on changing the way future cybersecurity specialists are educated. The project is intended for students of various fields, including IT, business and humanities. We are looking for passionate, responsible people who are ready for change. The initiative identifies three key values that guide Exea: security, responsibility and flexibility.

As a university, we have data that many entities would like to acquire, which is why we are always a potential target for cyberattacks, explains Prof. Andrzej Tretyn, Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus University. – Being aware of the threat, I am glad that we have managed to establish contact and today sign an agreement with the most competent company in the field of cybersecurity in the voivodeship. Exea, together with our students, will prepare the much-needed personnel for our region.

The initiators of the cooperation and the signing of the agreement are the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Education, dr hbil. Monika Wałachowska, NCU Prof., and the Chancellor, mgr Karolina Sokalska. The patron of the initiative is Piotr Całbecki, Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship.

Recruitment for the paid Exea Cyber Academy internship programme has been designed according to the 'skills first' model, i.e. one in which real skills count, not entries in a CV. During the recruitment process, candidates will solve cybersecurity tasks and then take part in a workshop simulating a real cyberattack. This stage tests not only technical knowledge, but also thinking skills, situation analysis and teamwork abilities. The best candidates will be selected from among the participants to begin a paid internship.

Interns will work in the Security Operations Centre environment at the Exea Data Center, with access to the same tools and procedures that are used on a daily basis to protect data and ensure the continuity of IT systems in the region. In practice, this means learning about infrastructure monitoring mechanisms, analysing security incidents, and learning how to identify threats and respond to attempts to attack IT systems.

Programme participants will also encounter tasks carried out by teams responsible for the stability of IT environments used by local businesses, offices and public institutions. This will give them unique insight into the realities of working in cybersecurity in conditions that are not a training simulation, but a real operating environment. The programme opens up the possibility of further cooperation after the internship.

We are moving quickly; we established contact with the company in November, and a series of meetings with students will begin before Christmas, announces Vice-Rector dr habil. Monika Wałachowska, NCU Prof. "We will start at the Faculty of Law and Administration, then move on to the Faculty of Management and Economic Sciences, and next week to the Faculties of Mathematics and Computer Science, and Physics, Astronomy and Informatics. Thanks to this cooperation, not only students involved in programming, but also lawyers, economists and those studying management-related subjects will be able to apply for internships. We are very pleased that, thanks to Exea, the university is opening up to the socio-economic environment.

The first students are scheduled to begin their internships in January 2026. Each internship cycle will last up to six months and will involve five to ten participants.

Exea Data Center is responsible, among other things, for supporting the digital security of systems in offices, companies and public institutions. The company monitors IT infrastructure, responds to security incidents and ensures that key systems operate continuously, are resistant to attacks and protect user data.