The Young Leaders in Cybersecurity: Pacific Region (YLCPR) is a leadership development program for students and young professionals from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and other Pacific nations.

YLCPR will deepen participants’ understanding of cybersecurity policy, cultivate relationships between these future policy leaders, and generate recommendations for collaboration on cybersecurity and cyber workforce development.

Objectives

The YLCPR program will:

• Provide participants with a deeper understanding of current cybersecurity issues, policies, and opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration;
   
• Foster the generation of creative recommendations for improving collaboration between the U.S. and other Pacific nations on cybersecurity-related issues;
   
• Provide opportunities for program participants to engage with and learn from subject matter experts from across the region in order to develop a deeper understanding of the perspectives and goals of the partner countries on cybersecurity and cyber workforce-related issues; and
   
• Establish formal and informal channels of communication between program participants to cultivate strong professional and personal relationships between the region’s future policy leaders.

Activities

YLCPR activities include monthly group meetings online; individual research and writing; final report presentation and publication; and social engagement activities via social media and video conferencing.

The culmination of the program will be a final presentation and publication of the program report, the result of original research and policy analysis by program participants. The report will be formally presented to a panel of distinguished officials, policymakers, and experts from the Pacific region and the U.S.

Timeline

Program activities will take place between March-May, 2021. 

Requirements

All program participants are required to fulfill the following obligations, which may constitute 10-12 hours each month:

• Actively participate in monthly program meetings;
   
• Engage in online social engagement activities;
   
• Conduct individual research and writing assignments; and 
   
• Participate in writing and presenting a final group report.

Participants and Eligibility

The program cohort will consist of approximately 25 participants who are either current policy graduate students or young policy professionals from the United States and Pacific region.

Candidates for the program are not required to have a previous background in cybersecurity or computer science; rather, the ideal group of participants will have backgrounds and expertise in a variety of policy fields, creating a diverse cohort with complementary skills and knowledge.  

Application

Complete the YLCPR application form to apply.

Gift of the United States Government