Aurelia Brzezowska, Chair of the Youth Advisory Panel | 24th June 2026

Student societies are a great way to build technical and soft skills at university. They can help students attend events, meet industry professionals, practice technical skills and build their network. Not every university has an active cyber security society, which means there may be an opportunity to start one. I want to share practical advice based on my experience leading a technology society at University of Staffordshire and explain how I helped it grow to over 200 members in two years.

Start With the Basics

Before doing anything, speak to your Students’ Union or the university team responsible for societies. Every university has its own process, so check what is required before advertising, collecting sign-ups or running events. You could be asked to provide and create:

A society name, committee list, short description or aims document, evidence of student interest, planned activities, general risk assessment, proposed membership fees.

For me, this meant booking meetings with my local Students’ Union to formalise the required documentation.

Build the Right Committee

Choose people who are interested, reliable and willing to do the work. Events need planning, paperwork and member support, so your committee matters. Useful roles could include:

President/Manager, Vice President, Treasurer, Events Lead, Social Media Lead, Outreach Lead, Welfare or Inclusion Lead.

You do not need a huge team at the start, but you do need people who will follow through. If needed, do a callout to students in relevant courses.

Prove Interest and Define the Society

Student interest is important when setting up a society. Ask people on your course, speak to students in related subjects, use posters or create an online interest form. If you collect personal details, follow your university’s data protection and GDPR guidelines (which will be based on the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance).

Before launching, decide what your society is. It could be a cyber security society, a broader technology society or a student chapter linked to an external organisation like the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), British Computing Society (BCS), CyberWomen Groups C.I.C, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE or others. Clear branding helps people understand what the society does and why they should join. Try to define:

Aims and values, target audience, branding and logo, suggested activities.

Once approved, start promoting your society. Speak to lecturers, course leaders, students, university staff, and relevant external contacts. Ask your Students’ Union or department to share your society through their channels.

Word of mouth works well, especially at freshers’ fairs, in accommodation, and course sessions. Social media can also help. LinkedIn is useful for industry visibility, while Instagram can work well for student engagement. Outreach is also important for finding speakers and collaborators as well as for securing sponsors or funding. Build credibility by posting about events, collecting feedback, taking photos (with member consent), and recording your impact. A simple sponsor pack can include:

Who you are, your audience, member numbers, event plans, and sponsorship options.

If your society is linked to an external organisation, you may also be eligible for grants, scholarships, or resources. Always formalise funding through your Students’ Union or university process.

Plan Events That Help Students

Think realistically about how often you can run events. Weekly sessions may work for study groups or casual coding. Larger events may need to be monthly or termly. Keep events accessible as cyber security can often feel intimidating to beginners, so support different skill levels. Event ideas include:

Technical workshops
Alert analysis, cryptography, Linux basics, networking, web security, small CTFs, bug bounty practice, and secure coding.
Career talks
Invite speakers from areas such as Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC), security analysis, penetration testing, cloud security, digital forensics, security engineering and incident response.
Employability events
CV reviews, LinkedIn sessions, interview practice, portfolio reviews, mentoring, recruiter talks, and professional profile photo sessions.
Large-scale events
Conferences, hackathons, CTFs, cyber fairs, or collaboration events with other societies.
Casual learning events
Study sessions, trivia nights, escape rooms, cyber simulations, beginner coding sessions, and student-led talks.

Planning and Documenting

Guest speakers can add real value, but these sessions require planning. Start outreach early, ideally at least two months before the event. You can find speakers through LinkedIn, university contacts, alumni, local businesses, and professional communities.

When contacting speakers, be clear about the topic, date, time, location, audience size, travel or parking arrangements, reimbursement, approval processes, slide reviews, and safeguarding requirements. Always follow your university’s process to protect everyone involved.

Risk assessments are also important. Even simple events may need checks for room capacity, food allergies, accessibility, safeguarding and insurance purposes. Larger events such as hackathons, visits or conferences require more planning, so start early.

Keeping track of happenings through documentation is one of the key lessons I've learnt. Keep records of events, attendance, feedback, impact, and learning outcomes. This evidence is useful for funding, awards, handovers, sponsorships, and future committees.

Your society should serve its members, not just the committee. Use feedback forms, informal conversations, and attendance data to understand what students want. Ask whether event times work, whether topics are useful and whether sessions feel accessible. Be willing to change your plans. A society grows when members feel heard.

Skills To Build as a Committee Member

Running a society can also help you build your own skills, including:

Leadership, event planning, budgeting, stakeholder management, and problem-solving.

Track what you do. Keep a record of events you personally organised and the problems you solved. Your contributions will form the evidence base for your future applications, interviews, and professional portfolio.

Starting a cyber security society can be hard work but it can also create real impact for students. It does not need to be perfect at the beginning. What matters is that you start, learn and keep improving throughout the process. Perhaps you’ll even leave a legacy behind!