The establishment of The University of Warwick was given approval by the government in 1961 and received its Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1965. As we go into 2025 the University will be going into its 60th year.
I am delighted on behalf of the University of Warwick to host the AUCSO 2025 Conference during this year which signifies an important milestone in the history of the University.
The idea for a university in Coventry was mooted shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War but it was a bold and imaginative partnership of the City and the County which brought the University into being on a 400-acre site jointly granted by the two authorities. Since then, the University has incorporated the former Coventry College of Education in 1978 and has extended its land holdings by the purchase of adjoining farmland. The University initially admitted a small intake of graduate students in 1964 and took its first 450 undergraduates in October 1965. By the end of 2023, the student population was over 28,000 of which over 9,000 are postgraduates. Today around a third of the student body comes from overseas and around 250 countries are represented on the campus.
The region is rich in culture with Warwick Castle and Stoneleigh Abbey close by, both of which you will have the opportunity to enjoy alongside what will be a stimulating academic programme. I am looking forward to welcoming you to the University of Warwick in April.
The Association of University Chief Security Officers, AUCSO, is the primary association for Security Professionals working in Universities, Colleges, and Institutions of Tertiary Education across the globe. Current members represent 22 countries! Membership is available by Institution, with each afforded the opportunity to nominate six representatives to the Association.
The Association provides a forum for its members to exchange knowledge, information and best practice relating to security management within the sector. Each year the Association holds its main Conference in the UK which includes security suppliers exhibition and an AGM for its members. In addition, there is an annual conference in Australia and a winter conference in Europe each year.
AUCSO consults and liaises with government agencies and regulatory bodies on relevant topics and provides training for our members. Members also benefit from live benchmarking information via the AUCSO benchmarking platform, enabling them to compare information on a local, regional, national and international basis. Members are also able to share best practice, experience, initiatives and local security training within the 11 geographic regions, each of which hold their own local meetings and appoint a representative who sits on the Association Executive Committee.