KUALA LUMPUR: Amid rising cyber threats, Major Wan Hidayat Wan Muhamad of the Malaysian army embarks on a transformative journey to safeguard the country's digital frontier.

Awarded a Chevening Scholarship, he will pursue a Masters of Science in Cyber Defence and Information Assurance at Cranfield University in in Wharley End, England, enhancing his expertise to bolster Malaysia's cybersecurity.

"With the increasing number of cyber threats emerging today, it is imperative to protect and defend the sovereignty of Malaysia's digital space," he said on his motivation to further his studies in cyber defence in the UK.

Wan Hidayat was one of the recipients of the Chevening Scholarship who was present at the pre-departure briefing and reception for the Chevening Asean Scholarship Programme at the British High Commission in Malaysia.

With a background in computer science, majoring in cybersecurity, Wan Hidayat has attended multiple training courses, including certifications as an ethical hacker and security practitioner.

He highlighted that the demand for cybersecurity professionals has been rising.

Another Malaysian who received the Chevening Scholarship at the event was Syamim S., a Malaysian advocate for disability rights.

Syamim, also known as Sya, will pursue her Master's in Autism Studies at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.

As a member of SIUMAN, an organisation of persons with disabilities (OPD) that is a collective of mental health patients and allies fighting for socioeconomic and political equity in Malaysia, Sya is committed to advancing the rights of people with disabilities.

The Chevening Scholarship Programme has awarded scholarships to 32 Malaysians for postgraduate studies in the UK for the 2024/25 academic year and in addition to the existing number of Chevening Scholarship awards, the UK government has now launched the Chevening Asean Scholarship Programme.

Each Asean member country, along with Timor-Leste, will receive one additional Chevening Scholarship award for the 2025/26 academic year.

Acting British High Commissioner to Malaysia David Wallace, who hosted the pre-departure briefing and reception, said the Chevening Scholarship programme is a testament to the UK government's commitment to nurturing Malaysia's leaders of tomorrow.

"It provides an opportunity to experience a world-class education in the UK while gaining invaluable exposure and experiences along the way. Asean is an important partner to the UK," he said.

In 2022, the UK became a Dialogue Partner to ASEAN - the first new dialogue partner in 25 years.

The Chevening Asean Scholarship Programme will enable more scholars from Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, to study in the UK, which aligns with Malaysia's chairmanship of Asean next year.

The Chevening award is the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded and administered by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

This is complemented by generous sponsorships from Malaysian corporate partners such as CIMB Foundation, Yayasan Khazanah, Petronas, and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. British universities also provide additional funding in support of the Chevening programme.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/1099054/malaysian-army-officer-bolster-cybersecurity-expertise-uk-prestigious