Cybersecurity Skills in Action: SANS and Université Libre de Bruxelles Prepare the Next Generation

SANS has partnered with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) to deliver real-world cybersecurity skills to students enrolled in ULB’s master’s programme.

Now in its second year, this collaboration integrates SANS Skills Quest by NetWars directly into the academic curriculum, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and hands-on problem-solving.

In 2025, the program expanded to 100 participating students, up from 70 in 2024, reflecting both its success and growing demand.

Hands-On Training

SANS Skills Quest is a hands-on training platform that spans a wide range of cybersecurity topics. Its challenge-based design supports continuous skill and knowledge development through practical application.

By embedding Skills Quest into the curriculum, ULB provides students with a structured, gamified environment where they can apply what they’ve learned in scenarios that mirror real-world adversary behaviour, detection workflows, and investigative triage.

A Growing Program

The success of the 2024 cohort laid the foundation for the expanded 2025 edition. With 100 students participating this year, the program continues to scale under the guidance of ULB Lecturer and SANS Instructor, Dr. Jérôme Dossogne, PhD.

“Since the very launch of the Belgian Master in Cybersecurity nearly a decade ago, our partnership with SANS has been a delight and a clear benefit for the students in the program. This long-standing collaboration empowers our students with an amazing opportunity for experiential learning and direct integration into the global cybersecurity community. Year after year, student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive—clear proof that this partnership continues to be an outstanding success.” — Dr. Jérôme Dossogne, PhD

Milestone Recognition

To celebrate their achievement, students gathered on December 1, 2025, for a graduation ceremony where each participant was awarded a SANS challenge coin.

This isn’t a token gesture. In the SANS community, coins are earned, not given. They represent mastery, grit, and technical accomplishment. Earning one through Skills Quest means students have demonstrated real capability across adversarial problem-solving domains.

“I enjoyed the SANS CTF very much. The SANS CTF this time was definitely an improvement, especially with the broad spectrum of topics the teams needed to work with. This brought a sense of interest and diversity for teams of all capabilities. The prizes that followed were a great motivation.” — Student, 2025 Cohort

Real-World Career Impact

Students report that the experience helped prepare them for interviews and internships. Skills Quest provides not only the technical background, but also the confidence to explain real-world processes, tools, and tradeoffs.

“This was my first CTF, so I didn't have much experience, but what I can say is I had a lot of fun participating and learned a lot in the process.” — Student, 2025 Cohort

Looking Ahead

This partnership isn’t a one-off initiative. It’s a long-term investment in cybersecurity talent. SANS and ULB have confirmed the program will continue into 2026 and beyond, with plans to further enhance technical depth, community integration, and career readiness.