Promoting Safe, Secure and Cohesive Campuses held at Jury's Great Russell Street Hotel, London

Research regularly suggests that one in three students is a victim of crime at university every year, most commonly of burglary, theft and mugging. Living away from home for the first time, students often have little experience of crime prevention methods, and this, coupled with the portable high-value goods prevalent in the student population (students took possessions worth some £2.5bn to university in 2005), makes them likely targets for perpetrators of crime. Exploring safety and security aspects of enhancing the student experience, this conference brought together senior representatives from HE, the police and security industry to examine good practice and to raise student awareness on campuses across the UK. The event also looked at the DIUS guidance, “Promoting Good Campus Relations, fostering shared values and preventing violent extremism in Universities and Higher Education Colleges” (January 2008), which highlights the importance of higher education institutions, working with students of all backgrounds, to build cohesion and good relations on campus.