Industry- Academia Network: Partnership highlight between Fortinet and Scheer School of Digital Sciences at Saarland University
As members of the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, Fortinet and Scheer School of Digital Sciences at Saarland University, are partnering to expand access to cybersecurity education. Through this collaboration, Fortinet will provide to the Scheer School unlimited complimentary access to its self-paced training courses for both students and faculty. In addition, Fortinet will sponsor certification exam vouchers at no cost for all participants.
The partnership includes training and certifications through the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification program, covering all levels from Fortinet Certified Fundamentals (FCF) to the Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist (FCSS). As part of the Fortinet Academic Partner Programme, the Scheer School will additionally gain unrestricted access to online hands-on labs and virtual machines, significantly enhancing practical cybersecurity skills and real-world readiness.
This partnership will further support the implementation of the pledge made by Fortinet under the Cybersecurity Skills Academy to provide training, certification and awareness-raising to 75,000 EU citizens, in line with its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) values.
On 18 June 2025, Fortinet and Scheer School of Digital Sciences at Saarland University, have signed a partnership as part of the Industry-Academia Network of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy, joining efforts to narrow the cybersecurity skills and talent gap in Europe.
Trust and safety are core requirements for a successful transformation. Thus, we are looking forward to support practitioners with cybersecurity competencies in a strong partnership with Fortinet.
Prof. Dr. Schnellbächer from the Scheer School
We are pleased to be part of the Cybersecurity Skills Academy’s Industry-Academia Network. Through this growing collaboration between industry and academia, we aim to bridge the cybersecurity skills gap and empower the next generation of professionals with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to protect our digital future.
Rob Rashotte, Vice President, Fortinet Training Institute, Fortinet
The partnership
Fortinet and the Scheer School of Digital Sciences at Saarland University partner for lifelong learning.
Partners:
Academia: Scheer School of Digital Sciences at Saarland University
Industry: Fortinet
Description:
This partnership is prioritising cybersecurity skills to address the workforce shortage and boost its competitiveness, focusing on industry-academia collaboration, with a mission to create experts in the field of cybersecurity while developing the cyber workforce of the future.
Target audience: This initiative supports students that are interested in cybersecurity. Applicable to anyone from beginners to experts, it provides skills and knowledge for students across all cybersecurity roles, sectors, and technologies, ensuring inclusive and comprehensive skill development for the entire academic and professional ecosystem.
European Cybersecurity Skills Framework role profiles: All
Sector: No specific sector is targeted
Cybersecurity with technology-specific interest: Artificial Intelligence, Quantum, Edge computing, Virtual, augmented or mixed reality, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Green Tech, 5G, 6G, Cloud Cryptography.
Location: The partnership is available with flexible learning options in both self-paced and classroom-based formats.
Languages: English (all curriculum and courses)
Cost: Free
Links to the initiative(s):www.scheer-school.com, https://www.scheer-school.com/en/, https://www.fortinet.com/training/academic-partner-program
Contact persons: Luisa Heß luisa.hess@scheer-school.com; Maximilian Dengel maximilian.dengel@scheer-school.com, Allison Aze aaze@fortinet.com
