HP’s HBCU Technology Conference returned this year, convening leadership, staff members and students across 102 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to discuss the future of technology and higher education. The free, virtual conference organized by HP and sponsored by Microsoft and Intel, aimed to take a closer look at digital transformation opportunities on HBCU campuses, as well as ways technology companies can further support students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at HBCUs. The event was facilitated by leadership from Alabama State University, Jackson State University and Stillman College.
From September 13 to 16, the conference hosted more than 90 sessions, with more than 130 presenters sharing their key insights to the more than 1,500 conference attendees. Presenters explored a wide range of topics, including best practices to expand access to careers in technology and methods to support innovation and foster technology entrepreneurship among students. Presenters also discussed ways to address cybersecurity concerns and improve technology infrastructure at HBCUs and tactics for increasing access to quality healthcare for students. Some presentations titles included:
- “Cybersecurity & HBCUs: Securing Your Campus, Leading through Threats, and Elevating Your Curriculum”
- “Digital Transformation: Is Your Campus Prepared for the Student of the Future?”
- “Emerging Technologies and the Accelerating Change of the Enterprise Landscape. Are Your Students Future-Ready?”
- “The Legal Implications of Using AI and Facial Recognition Technologies”
- “Creating or Elevating Your Data Science Curriculum, NIST and Cybersecurity”
- “Current and Future Challenges (NIST), Pathways to Professional Development for IT Professionals (CompTIA)”
- “Enhancing Email Security at Tennessee State University, CIO Conversations: Inspiring Aspiring Leaders”
- “Creating Economic Mobility through STEAM Programs at HBCUs”
- “Sustainability and the Future of Work & Entrepreneurship for the Underserved”
The closing presentation was provided by Dr. Dennis Kimbro, a professor at Clark Atlanta University and the best-selling author of, “Digital Transformation: The Only Choice for Financial Freedom in the Black Community and how HBCUs Can Lead the Way.”
Digital transformation, bolstering cybersecurity and expanding broadband on HBCU campuses has been an increasingly prominent topic for years. More than 80% of HBCUs exist within broadband deserts, according to analysis from McKinsey & Company. Falling behind on the key metric of broadband access in the digital age jeopardizes the resilience and future success of HBCUs, institutions that disproportionately produce America’s Black doctors, teachers, professors, lawyers and STEM professionals. Moreover, many HBCUs recently faced heightened security concerns, including cybersecurity threats. For example, a cyberattack forced Prairie View University in Texas to temporarily close its operations in 2021, and 49 HBCUs faced bomb threats in 2022. All of these incidents increase the urgency for leaders to continue investing in much-needed reforms at HBCUs, such as ensuring digital connectivity and a robust cybersecurity infrastructure.
Robert F. Smith Keynote Address
The conference also invited Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners to be the keynote speaker. Smith used his keynote address to shine a further light on the digital disparities HBCUs are facing and emphasized the critical need to expand access for HBCU students. “If our students don’t have broadband and computing capacity, it will limit their gaining access to this economy,” Smith said during his speech. “We have to get those resources and ensure HBCUs have access and infrastructure to teach and train our students to be a part of this as a producer, not just a consumer, of the technology.”
Smith also advocates for bolstering HBCU security and broadband access through Student Freedom Initiative, of which he is Chairman. Student Freedom Initiative has partnered with Cisco to invest $100 million in cybersecurity reforms at HBCUs. Cisco also contributed another $50 to Student Freedom Initiative’s income-contingent alternative to private loans for eligible HBCU students.
Learn more about Student Freedom Initiative.
