G4S Events expert inaugurated as Professor of Crowd Dynamics and Crowd Management
6 December 2010
G4S Events is pleased to announce that its Senior Consultant in Crowd Management, Professor Dr G Keith Still BSc PhD FIMA, will today be inaugurated as the G4S Professor of Crowd Dynamics and Crowd Management at Buckinghamshire New University.
G4S Events, Europe’s leading independent event security company, is pleased to announce that its Senior Consultant in Crowd Management, Professor Dr G Keith Still BSc PhD FIMA, will today be inaugurated as the G4S Professor of Crowd Dynamics and Crowd Management at Buckinghamshire New University.
In his new role Professor Dr Still, who is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts in crowd dynamics, will be working with the university to establish and develop this science and its practical applications for crowd management.
Professor Dr Still is working with the academics and industrial practitioners at the university to increase the professionalism in some areas of crowd safety by creating accredited management and science programmes that lead towards higher qualifications. Areas under exploration include modelling of pressure in antisocial activity in crowds, accidents and the perception of site safety measures, crowd dynamics and ingress and egress capacities.
Buckinghamshire New University’s partnership with G4S is unique in the education sector and is an example of how education and industry can work together to the benefit of the security and crowd management industries, to make events as safe as possible for the general public.
Professor Dr Still, Senior Consultant at G4S Events, said: “Understanding the science of crowd behaviour and being able to manage it is vital to the safety and security of an event. By working in this role for the university at the same time as consulting for G4S, I will be in the privileged position of being able to help the worlds of education and industry gain mutual benefit.
“Crowd dynamics and crowd management is developing all the time and the research we are conducting will have a direct benefit to those working in the industry through the university’s partnership with G4S. Similarly, those at the university can learn a lot from the practical experience of G4S, which has an excellent track record of high quality performance and innovation in managing major events.”
Professor Chris Kemp, [TITLE], Buckinghamshire New University, said: “Keith will be working with a team of academics and industrial practitioners supported by the International Centre for Crowd Management & Security Studies. Through the Centre we will be able to deliver projects at the cutting edge of the discipline. Our partnership with G4S is hugely valuable to education, the event management and security industries and we are delighted that Keith’s involvement in this new role will strengthen this partnership further.”
The inauguration will take place as part of the official opening of The Gateway building at the university, which will be opened by The Right Honourable David Willetts MP.
At G4S, Professor Dr Still remains a key contributor to the company’s consultancy-led delivery of major event safety and security solutions. G4S Events is Europe’s leading independent event security company and provides crowd management services to events such as Party Political Conferences, the G20 Summit, The Championships Wimbledon, the V Festival and the recent Ryder Cup.
Prior to joining G4S, Professor Dr Still was the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Crowd Dynamics, an international consultancy advising on crowd safety during normal and emergency situations. His mathematical and behavioural modelling and simulation tools led to the development of a systematic blueprint now widely used by the crowd safety industry. He also runs workshops to teach others the theory of crowd dynamics and how to apply it to real events.
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About G4S
About Professor Dr Still
Professor Dr Still was made a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (FIMA) in late 2007 and is the G4S Professor of Crowd Dynamics & Crowd Management at the International Centre for Crowd Management and Security Studies (ICCMSS) at Buckinghamshire New University, near London.
About G4S Events
G4S Events is Europe’s leading independent event security company, and has been providing crowd management services to the events market for over 25 years. The company’s breadth and depth of security and stewarding experience across sporting events, concerts, conferences and hotels is unmatched in the industry. For further information on G4S Events visit www.g4s.com/uk-events
About G4S Secure Solutions (UK)
G4S Secure Solutions (UK) employs 18,500 people throughout the UK, working with a wide range of public sector and commercial clients, including 51 of the FTSE 100 companies. The company provides specialist security services to over 5,000 customers across a range of sectors including Government, utilities, financial institutions, leisure and tourism, and transport. For further information on G4S Secure Solutions (UK) visit www.g4s.com/uk
About G4S plc
G4S, the international security solutions group, has built up a high profile reputation for the provision of security solutions across the world. Its unrivalled geographic footprint and first hand experience of the key security issues facing businesses and individuals in a broad range of markets means that it is uniquely placed to advise on identifying and managing risks. For more information on G4S visit www.g4s.com