RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) will today launch a new CyberPsychology Research Centre. The Centre is part of the RCSI Institute of Leadership and a symposium entitled ‘CyberPsychology: Cyber Insight - Tackling Technology Facilitated Problem Behaviour' is taking place in RCSI today to mark the launch.

The launch coincides with the European Union's Cyber Security Month (ECSM) which is operated by the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA). This is the first fully-fledged ECSM event to take place in Europe. The ECSM is designed to promote cyber security among citizens, to change their perception of cyber-threats, and to provide up-to-date security information, through education and the sharing of best practice.

The new Research Centre will work with a range of international collaborators and will serve as an Irish centre of excellence for cyberpsychology research. Speaking at the launch, Michael Moran, Assistant Director of INTERPOL said that ‘Robust law enforcement is informed by robust research; effective partnership between frontline police investigators and academics can only be a positive thing. This centre is welcomed by global law enforcement agencies as a resource to aid appropriate and informed policy development, training and response. The launch of the centre formalises a productive partnership that will undoubtedly continue to grow and deliver results.'

The Centre's research will initially focus on the key areas of child safety online, cyberbullying, and human trafficking and technology. The Centre will also investigate the impact of technology on leadership, while developing national and international partnerships between academia, government, law enforcement and industry.

Through international collaborations, the CyberPsychology Centre has already developed a substantial research network. As well as liaising with the European Commission and the White House, research collaboration has been established with institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and Columbia Universities, INTERPOL, the Garda Síochána, Metropolitan Police Service of London, Los Angeles Police Department, the Australian Federal Police,

Speaking at the launch Professor Ciarán O'Boyle, Director of the RCSI Institute of Leadership, said: "The CyberPsychology Research Centre has been established to provide analysis, insight and leadership in understanding the benefits, risks and applications of current and emerging human-technology interfaces."

Also speaking at the launch was Mary Aiken, RCSI Research Fellow and Centre Director who said: "Our vision is that the Research Centre will become a global leader in producing research and supporting education and intervention at the intersection of psychology and technology."