ISCAP Proceedings: Abstract Presentation
An International Industry Immersion Model for Graduate Education in AI and Cybersecurity
Mark Spanier
Dakota State University
Abstract
Dakota State University (DSU) and AI Sweden have developed an international summer immersion program that connects graduate education in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity with real-world industry and public-sector challenges. Now in its fifth year, the program brings together approximately 25 graduate students each summer from U.S. and Swedish universities to work in multidisciplinary teams alongside faculty, researchers, and industry experts.
Students begin their collaboration at AI Sweden in Gothenburg and continue their work at DSU, developing prototypes and technical solutions based on authentic operational problems and datasets. Projects have addressed areas such as industrial AI and cybersecurity, distributed and federated learning, autonomous systems, AI-enabled cyber defense, critical infrastructure security, and maritime domain awareness.
This presentation describes the structure and evolution of the DSU–AI Sweden partnership, highlights representative student projects and industry collaborations, and discusses lessons learned from integrating international teamwork, experiential learning, applied research, and industry engagement. The program provides a model for universities seeking to prepare graduate students to work across disciplinary, organizational, and national boundaries while addressing emerging challenges at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity.