Department of Computer Science

Collaborative Success in Computer Science: Chernihiv Polytechnic University and H-BRS Strengthen Ties through DAAD Internship Program

Gemeinsamer Erfolg in der Informatik: Polytechnische Universität Tschernihiw und H-BRS vertiefen Beziehungen durch DAAD-Praktikumsprogramm

Tuesday 1 October 2024

For the second time, Mariia Dorosh, professor of Software Engineering at Chernihiv Polytechnic National University (CPNU), is visiting the Department of Computer Science at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) as part of the DAAD internship program. Her visit is a testament to the ongoing academic collaboration between the two institutions.

Prof. Roustiam Chakirov (H-BRS), project coordinator and Dr. Oleksandr Velihorskyi, Head of the Department of Radio Engineering and Embedded Systems at CPNU, organised Prof. Mariia Dorosh's visit and facilitated the productive exchange of ideas, research and academic strategies.

Mariia_Dorosch_Gast aus Ukraine_Bild_Kira_Wazinski

From left: Ukrainian scientist Oleksandr Velihorskyi, Petra Haferkorn, Mariia Dorosh and Dean Sascha Alda during their last visit in 11/2023 photo: Kira Wazinski

During her last visit, Dorosh held talks with Prof. Sascha Alda, Dean of the Department of Computer Science at H-BRS, about guest lectures and academic mobility programmes for students and teaching staff. This led to two guest lectures for software engineering students. The first on 9 January 2024 dealt with ‘Secure Architectures for Telecommunications’, the second on 30 January 2024 with ‘Securing Software Supply Chains: DevSecOps in Practice’.

In recognition of the success of this collaboration, Dorosh and Alda have formalised their partnership by signing an agreement for an online mobility programme. As a first step, CPNU students will have the opportunity to attend lectures on the topic of ‘Integration Architectures’. ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for our students,’ said Dorosh. ‘I am confident that both CPNU and H-BRS will gain valuable insights from this academic exchange.’

Dorosh's main point of contact during her stay is Prof. Petra Haferkorn, who specialises in IT security management at the Department of Computer Science at H-BRS. Over the past year, the two professors have made great progress in their joint research, including:

A joint study on the application of systems theory to agile methods, presented at the XXI International Conference ‘Project Management in the Development of Society’ in Kiev in May 2024.
A conference paper based on a masterthesis supervised by Prof Haferkorn, which was presented at the international scientific-practical conference for students and young scientists at the CPNU

Their primary research focus is the shift from Human-Centred Security to Organization-Centred Security. As part of their ongoing work, they have written an article on information security management that will soon be presented at a conference in Sofia, Bulgaria. This article serves as the basis for a new theory of information security management that emphasises securing organisational processes rather than focusing solely on raising awareness and training individuals.

Prof. Petra Haferkorn photo: Pascal Schröder

Their research findings will also be incorporated into their lectures on project management and information security. ‘Students need to understand the distinction between technical, psychological and social systems,’ explains Prof Haferkorn. ‘Effective communication is crucial, not just for training, but for all organisational processes to promote a comprehensive security culture.’

Looking to the future, the professors are already working on the next steps of their collaboration and are continuously learning from each other. Their partnership underlines the importance of international collaboration in tackling complex challenges in the areas of software engineering management, information security and organisational resilience.