University of Southern Queensland commits to Hacking 4 National Security program, accelerating cross collaboration and early entrepreneurship
The University of Southern Queensland will welcome Common Mission Project’s Hacking for National Security program to its course list from Semester 1 this year. The move highlights the University’s commitment to future generations’ participation in global problem solving and increased collaboration between the Department of Defence and higher education.
Coming on the heels of the recent announcement of Flinders University’s decision to participate in Hacking for Defence, USQ becomes the third Australian university to offer this pioneering program to connect fresh, innovative minds dedicated to solving big problems, with those facing some of the toughest challenges in modern times: the Department of Defence.
Jamie Watson, Executive Director of CMP Australia, explained, “The steady growth of universities joining our ‘Hacking for’ platforms is a healthy indication of our country’s growing emphasis on partnership and sharing to solve hard problems. USQ’s commitment to this cause means that even more bright, energetic students will have the opportunity to thrive under the Defence’s ‘D. Start Catalyst’ program.”
University of Southern Queensland committed to participate in the Hacking for National Security program at the start of 2022 and will commence joint preparations with CMP to develop problem sets and course materials for participating students. The University, which is focused on supporting veterans and Australia’s national security, sees the program as an excellent means of furthering its values while inspiring the next generation of thinkers and leaders.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us at USQ to unlock another area of potential for our highly capable students while also having a hands-on interest in our country’s well-being and future,” said Rouz Fard, employability coordinator for the University of Southern Queensland.
Common Mission’s work in Australia began in 2021 when the University of New South Wales struck a partnership for a pilot Hacking for National Security course. Participants in the course addressed the following challenges: (1) the need for the Australian Defence Force to remain operational in the event of system-wide communications failure; and (2) the need for military leaders to make sound command decisions in the face of a previously unseen, ambiguous challenge.
The course continues in its work to provide material support and give students access to dozens of industry experts and on-the-ground stakeholders who have guided their ongoing explorations. The result is better systems and training for those entrusted with national security.
“Watching this program grow and evolve in its quest to connect students with high-priority, emergent challenges on the national level has been an inspiring experience,” said Dr Jennifer Palmer, Group Leader of Innovation Pathways at the Defence Science and Technology Group. “Modern challenges call for modern solutions, and we believe the next generation of problem solvers are best poised to meet that call,” she continued.
Background:
The “Hacking4Defense” model that Hacking for National Security employs is part of a global movement of mission-driven entrepreneurship. The course was created at Stanford University by Steve Blank, founder of the Lean Startup movement; Joe Felter, a retired U.S. Army Colonel; and Pete Newell, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former Director of the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, now CEO of BMNT Inc.
Its goal is to marry military/intelligence resources and expertise with the nation’s brightest entrepreneurial minds to create solutions to pressing security problems at start-up speed.
Since its debut in 2016, the course has expanded to 50 universities in the U.S., seven in the UK and three in Australia. Many student teams that have formed companies during the course have discovered their newly developed technologies and programs have civilian markets as well as military ones.
The Common Mission Project will provide USQ with all the materials, collateral and support needed to run a world-class, mission-driven entrepreneurship program targeted toward solving defence and national security issues.