Northern Kentucky University and St. Andrews Georgian University (SANGU) honored the first cohort of students to graduate from an international partnership program. Forty-five students graduated with master’s degrees in cybersecurity from NKU during a ceremony in Tbilisi, Georgia.
SANGU partnered with NKU in 2020 in an effort to bolster Georgia’s national cyber defense. In 2023, the two universities launched a dual, hybrid master’s degree program. Since then, 120 Georgian students have enrolled in the College of Informatics’ Master of Cybersecurity program in four separate cohorts. A fifth cohort is enrolling for the upcoming fall semester.
“As the first group to graduate from this program, these students represent the incredible potential of global collaboration in higher education,” says NKU president Dr. Cady Short- Thompson. “Our partnership with St. Andrews Georgian University has allowed us to expand our reach across borders and empower students to succeed in a rapidly interconnected world. We are so proud of what these graduates have achieved and are excited to see the impact they will have as global citizens and leaders.”
Through the program, students take courses remotely at NKU and in person at SANGU in Tbilisi, Georgia. The structure also features an extended trip to Cincinnati, Ohio where students meet with local companies like Kroger, 84.51, US Bank, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
“During our visit to NKU, I joined a campus cybersecurity chapter and it led to me now becoming a lecturer in cybersecurity at SANGU,” says graduate Tamar Burjanadze, who has a background in international relations and entered the program to change careers. “It’s very important given that women are under-represented in the field globally.”
In the recent success of the joint cybersecurity program, NKU is expanding the partnership to other colleges on campus. Dr. Hassan R. HassabElnaby, dean of NKU’s Haile College of Business, joined the celebration to seal an agreement for a joint 3+1 business administration program.
“From the Georgian chorus performance to the closing fireworks show, this graduation was a powerful celebration of international partnership,” says Dr. Kevin Kirby, dean of NKU’s College of Informatics. “It was an honor to join my colleagues in building this program and to witness our faculty engaging with students through workshops, conferences and even morning television appearances. This is what global education looks like—it’s immersive, inspiring and deeply impactful.”
For more information about NKU’s partnership with SANGU and involvement in the international community, visit the Center for Global Engagement and International Affairs website.
Northern Kentucky University