What was once the headquarters of British code breakers during the Second World War is now being prepared to be transformed into the United Kingdom's first national college for cyber education. Bletchley Park will open its doors to eligible students in September 2018.
Bletchley Park is where notable mathematician Alan Turing cracked the Enigma code which was deemed "unbreakable" by Nazi Germany. The UK government said that construction works are underway to fix several damaged buildings on the site in order to turn it into an educational institution.
The college, which sits beside the National Museum of Computing, will cater to 16- to 18-year-old students. The college will accept 100 students in its first year of operation. The college will introduce a new educational curriculum, out of which 40 percent will be devoted to cyber studies and related disciplines.
In a statement acquired by Reuters, National Museum of Computing deputy chairman Tim Reynolds said, "Bletchley Park we felt was a natural home for a cyber security college because it's building on the innovation and the work that took place in the Second World War, bringing it up to date and making it relevant again."
The proposed college will be publicly and privately funded. The plan for the college was unveiled by Qufaro, a not-for-profit body which was formed by cyber security experts with the aim of establishing the UK as a cyber security hub.
Since admission to the college is limited, Qufaro will be selecting eligible students through talent spotting and an entrance examination to gauge their aptitude. Qufaro expects that 90 percent of students will board at the school.
Once enrolled, students will not pay any college fees. According to the BBC, students are expected to work alongside cyber security experts. Their curriculum will cover math, computing, and physics.