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International Students Graduate as Certified Sport Safety and Security Professionals

Students from five countries and three continents graduated as Certified Sport Safety and Security Professionals this week as they completed the final module of the International Advanced Studies Programme on Sport Safety and Security Management – a joint educational initiative run by the International Centre for Sport Security in partnership with SRH University Heidelberg.

Beginning in June 2015 and as part of the ICSS’s commitment to sharing international expertise at a global level, the first edition of the Advanced Studies programme provided a group of international candidates from Malaysia, Italy, Belgium, Nigeria and Qatar with practical and theoretical courses in order to enhance their understanding in what is a growing and increasingly complex area of the sports industry.

Spread across two semesters including three four-day on-site modules and designed for major event organisers, safety and security managers, private security companies and stadium managers, the International Advanced Studies Programme on Sport Safety and Security Management covered a range of key topics in sport safety and security, including:

  • Best Practice and Developing Trends and Techniques in Sport Safety and Security
  • Legal Requirements and Implications in Major Event Safety and Security
  • Cutting-Edge Techniques to Deliver a Safe, Secure and Successful Major Sport Event
  • Risk Analysis and Risk Assessment
  • Mitigation and Prevention Methods

Concluding this week, the final module of the course also included a special site visit for students to observe security arrangements for the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Augsburg 1907, as well as several workshops led by leading international sport safety and security experts.

In addition to the site visit, other topics covered during the last four day module included:

  • Establishing risk management systems and evaluating safety and security procedures at sport events
  • Scenario planning and development of response techniques for incidents
  • Practical observation including match-day visit at Wirsol Rhein-Neckar Arena, Sinsheim
  • Written and oral assessment of key learnings and skills developed

Speaking on the sidelines at the Wirsol Rhein-Neckar Arena, Helmut Spahn, Director General of the ICSS, said:

“As an international organisation established to enhance the safety, security and integrity of sport, the ICSS feels a strong responsibility to share our expertise and to help educate and train the next generation of security practitioners, as well as those who look after our safety and security at major sport events.

“With 2016 set to be a busy year for sport and many major event organisers, the International Advanced Studies Programme has provided candidates from around the world with a unique learning experience that combines practical and theoretical elements so that they are fully equipped with the right skills and knowledge to safeguard major events in the future.”

For further information regarding the programme and how to apply, please visit our website www.asp.theicss.org/home or contact us via email at advancedstudies@theicss.org