Linux, Python, and Ethical Hacking at Germany’s Cisco Networking Academy Day

It was an honour to represent LPI’s community at the 23rd National Academy Day of the German Cisco Networking Academies (Cisco Netzwerk-Akademien), held in Weilburg. National Academy Day is one of the most important annual meetups for the IT training and education sector in Germany.

Bridging Education and Practice in Open Source Learning

While Cisco Networking Academy is often associated strictly with Cisco content, the reality is far richer. Today, the learning platform champions a broader, more inclusive ecosystem of technical skills, including courses and certifications that foster open source knowledge and practice.

As OSC- LPI Channel Partner Europe, we were proud to spotlight a few of these contributions again this year, including:

• The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Linux Essentials course
• The PCEP and PCAP Python programming certifications from the Python Institute

These are resources that we’ve been proud to represent officially in the DACH region for the past three years as OSC LPI Channel Partner Europe, and the interest among educators and institutions continues to grow.

Cybersecurity and AI in Focus

The program this year brought sharp attention to two high-stakes fields: Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Among the issues drawing the most discussion was the new Ethical Hacking course now offered via the NetAcad platform. Built around Kali Linux, the course gives students and instructors hands-on experience with penetration testing in a secure, educational context: a welcome indeed sign of the times, as ethical hacking becomes a vital element in modern IT education.

Celebrating Excellence: A Champion Recognised

We were especially proud to witness the announcement of the new German Champion in Network and System Administration. Congratulations to Felix Baumann, this year’s winner!
It’s rewarding to know that our shared efforts in building stronger Linux and open source fundamentals helped support the competition framework. These are the kinds of practical applications that turn learners into confident professionals.

Communities That Made the Academy Days Possible

My thanks to Carsten Johnson and the entire IT-Bildungsnetz team for another year of thoughtful planning and passionate execution. You’ve helped create not just an event, but a thriving learning community at a national scale.

To all participants, educators, and partners: Danke indeed, thank you for the exchanges, the insights, and the shared commitment to shaping the next generation of IT education.
We’re already looking forward to next year, and to continuing the conversation about open source, certification, and professional pathways across Germany and beyond.