By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
The International Institute of Communications (IIC) has unveiled the guidelines for this year’s Competition For Future Leaders, Cyber Era NG has learnt.
A heads-up on the Competition we obtained from Marketing & Membership Engagement Manager at International Institute of Communications, IIC, Emily Garbett says this year entrants are to produce an essay, submitted electronically, on the following topic: Cybersecurity on the Edge?
Philosophy behind the topic choice
As the capabilities and opportunities of online technologies evolve, how can policy develop to ensure robust levels of security are maintained? With increasingly complex interdependencies within networks, and the challenges presented by edge devices and IoT in general, is ‘security by design’ possible? Can policy move quickly enough to prevent misuse of the data flowing across networks?
Ms Garbett explains: “In your essay for this year’s Future Leaders’ Competition, you should consider how breaches in cybersecurity might be mitigated, with a particular emphasis on privacy. We want you to consider the challenges to security and privacy as technology develops and transforms, and we’re interested in your views on where responsibility lies for managing these challenges.”
What participants should consider:
- Development of a sustained and well-structured response, addressing the question asked
- Evidence and justification of position
- Awareness & understanding of contending viewpoints
- Commercial awareness & understanding of competitive market forces
Key dates for entrants:
- July 17, 2023 – Final deadline for entries by 1600 BST
- August 16, 2023 – Winner announced
What are the rules?
Eligibility
- The Competition is open to individuals aged 35 and under, on competition closing date – July 17, 2023.
- Entries must be the original work of the author and previously unpublished
- Collaboration with colleagues is permitted, however, there must be one lead author
Submission requirements
- Allowing an essay word length of 2500 – 3000 words (to include an abstract of no more than 150 words), footnotes and figures are not included in the word limit
- We don’t stipulate any special format for footnotes and referencing but you must acknowledge your sources and we ask that you be consistent in your style
- Entrants are to submit their essays directly to e.garbett@iicom.org
- Only 1 submission per person may be made (if collaborating with colleagues – the lead author will need to submit the entry)
- Entries must be submitted in English
- Entries will be evaluated on criteria including original thought and analysis – all submissions will be reviewed anonymously
- The judges may determine not to award some or all the prizes and the judges’ determinations will be final
Awards
The overall winner will receive:
- An invitation to present their winning entry to the IIC’s Annual Conference (18-19 October 2023), subject to current travel advice, with all expenses paid and £250(US$310.75) subsistence
- Their winning entry to be published in InterMedia (the IIC’s quarterly journal), online and on IIC’s social media channels
- One year’s complimentary membership to the IIC Future Leaders’ Network – which includes access to the IIC’s networks and resources
The top ten entries will have:
- Their abstract published in InterMedia
- Their entry published online
- One year’s complimentary membership to the IIC Future Leaders’ Network – which includes access to the IIC’s networks and resources
The IIC is the world’s only policy debating platform for the converged communications industry. It gives innovators and regulators a forum in which to explore, debate and agree the best policies and regulatory frameworks for widest societal benefit.
