ACADEMY FAQ

No. Our coures assume no prior technical expertise and focus on concepts, cases, and governance frameworks rather than coding or deep technical configuration. We explain technical concepts in accessible language and provide optional readings for those who wish to go deeper.

The Social Cyber and Tech Academy offers short, practical professional development courses at the intersection of technology, cyberspace security, and public policy. Our programs are designed for policymakers, practitioners, analysts, educators, and industry professionals who need to understand complex tech issues without becoming technical specialists. Our empahis is not cyber security as traditionally understood but the security of cyberspace in all its social, political and economic impacts.

We design every program around advanced, research-led content drawn from current policy debates, live cyber and tech challenges, and the work of the Social Cyber Group and Social Cyber Institute, so participants engage with issues that organisations are grappling with right now. Our teaching teams combine senior academics and experienced practitioners with decades of work in government, industry and international organisations, giving you perspectives you rarely see together in one place. All courses are delivered jointly with Blended Learning International, an Australian Registered Training Organisation. This means you get the rigour, quality assurance and structured learning design of a professional education provider, while still enjoying flexible, executive-style formats (short master classes, intensive workshops, hybrid and remote options across time zones from the Western Pacific through Asia to Europe and Africa). We also specialise in supporting career changers and mid‑career professionals, so our programs are intentionally practical: focused on strategic insight, organisational impact, and helping you move into or step up in cyber and tech‑related roles.   Underneath it all is a unique “social cyber” lens developed by the Social Cyber Group – we look at how people, institutions, incentives and culture shape security and technology outcomes, and we build that into every course so you can improve both your technical posture and the social systems around it.

Courses are delivered primarily online through a mix of modules, short video lectures, readings, and live interactive sessions (e.g., workshops, Q&A, case exercises). Live components are recorded where possible so that participants in other time zones can catch up.

Most workshops and courses are designed to be completed over 7 hours in two separate sessions, each of of 3.5 hours duration. Additional commitments (including readings and other activities) can be estimated at less than seven hours total.

Yes. Participants who complete the core requirements (e.g., modules, quizzes, and final activity) receive a digital certificate of completion. For some programs, this can be used as evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) with your organisation or professional body.

Course fees vary by program and are clearly listed on each course page. MOst courses are A$990 (including GST). Participants joining online from outside Australia do not pay GST. Payment is typically made online by credit or debit card; for organisations or group bookings we can invoice directly, and for some programs we can offer staged payments. We offer scholarship places for participants from DAC-eligible lower and middle income countries and LDCs. We alos offer scholarships for members of indigenous communities.

Yes. We regularly adapt course content, case studies, and delivery format for government agencies, universities, NGOs, and private sector organisations. You can contact us to discuss your priorities, audience, and preferred schedule so we can propose a tailored program.

Yes. Our content is globally focused with particular attention to Australian and Indo‑Pacific contexts, and examples from other key jurisdictions. We schedule live sessions to be as time‑zone‑friendly as possible and in some cases we may provide recordings and asynchronous activities for participants who cannot attend live.

The main reason is that we want to make sure our workshops and courses have diverse participant cohorts in terms of national experience while recognising the cost would be prohibitive for many potential participants. We offer full fee scholarships to people living in DAC-eligible countries and in Australia, to people from First Nations communities and veterans of the Australian Defence Force.