Optus and UniSA appoint cyber security and data science chair

Former United Nations University Institute computer science researcher Dr Mamello Thinyane will become the inaugural Optus chair of cyber security and data science at UniSA.

The co-funded role will be run out of the cyber security research and data science collaboration hub, formed by Optus and UniSA in 2020.

The partnership between the two organisations aims to bolster research outcomes in data science and cyber security and train future specialists in those fields. 

The hub provides courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students, backed by a joint research and innovation fund to develop solutions and attract talent to South Australia. 

The Optus and UniSA agreement allows for the annual funding of an Optus scholarship program to support student and PhD enrolment in cyber security and data science related fields of study.

“This partnership between Optus and UniSA provides an opportunity to train the next generation of cyber security professionals, undertake powerful applied research, and to find solutions to some of the most pressing societal cyber security challenges," Thinyane said in a statement.

“I am excited to be taking up this position and look forward to strengthening collaborations and partnerships with key stakeholders as we address these challenges and exploit the opportunities before us.”

Thinyane previously worked for six years at the United Nations University Institute in Macau.

His research focused on citizen cyber resilience and data and sustainable development.

He also previously worked at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa and is a former visiting researcher at the Australian Centre of Cyber Security at UNSW Canberra.