USF received a grant from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the amount of $720,000. The grant money will be used to implement a training program to prepare students for a career in intelligence.
“Intelligence is an important function of U.S. foreign policy formulation and execution,” says Walter Andrusyszyn, USF business professor and director of the training program. “USF wants to play a key role in training the next generation of intelligence officers and preparing them as well as we can for this important task. ”
USF expects at least 200 students to participate in the program in its first year and will offer workshops and seminars as early as this fall. Andrusyszyn says students who enroll in the program will have several career options upon completion of the certificate program.
“There are 16 agencies in the U.S. government that are considered part of the intelligence community,” Andrusyszyn says. “The skill sets that are suitable for intelligence analysis are well-suited for other industries, such as risk analysis or forecasting, which are used in a number of private sector industries like banking, insurance and pharmaceuticals. ”
In addition to offering workshops and seminars on intelligence, Andrusyszyn says internships are a vital part of the training program.
“Because we plan on taking a practical and operation approach, it is our view that true intelligence training can only take place if a student gains a security clearance to become familiar with intelligence materials,” Andrusyszyn says. “That is why we will place such heavy emphasis on assisting students to land internships at American embassies abroad, or at military installations, so that they can obtain those clearances. ”
Writer:
Kimberly Patterson
Source: Walter Andrusyszyn, USF School of Business
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