ECU Vice-Chancellor Steve Chapman. Right: ECU trains Emirates security staff.
Camera IconECU Vice-Chancellor Steve Chapman. Right: ECU trains Emirates security staff. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

ECU gets serious about security

Justin BianchiniWanneroo Times

ECU is at the forefront of turning the security industry professional.

It recently became the global sponsor of the Outstanding Security Performance Awards.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Chapman, in London earlier this month to be awarded a CBE, attended a signing ceremony at the Savoy Hotel to mark the sponsorship.

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“We are very proud to be associated with the OSPAs,” he told the audience.

“We wanted to become a sponsor globally as we’ve been hiding under a bush. If you ever get the chance to visit ECU you will find there are some gems and one of the gems is security.”

Speaking to the Times after his return to Joondalup, Professor Chapman said security was going through professionalisation as nursing, accountancy and other professions had.

“So for example, if you want a job in cyber security you really have to have a degree now; you can’t just turn up and say ‘I can do cyber’,” he said.

“And so this is putting ECU at the global end because we’re not sponsoring awards just in Australia, we’re sponsoring awards in London, US etc.”

He said the signing ceremony attracted many heads of security, including from KPMG London, Westminster Abbey and ECU’s Emirates operation in Dubai.

“If you ever fly by Emirates and there’s a security guy there, he’s trained (at the airport in Dubai) by us,” he said.

“We do the diploma in airport security management and airport security ground handling. We have done for a few years now. Obviously Emirates is one of the best airlines in the world and we do their security training, so that’s pretty big.

“We do it in Dubai. If you go into the Emirates’ security building you’ll see a big ECU sign, our offices, our own staff there. So it all gets done in Dubai, actually at the airport.”

Uni eyes offshore opportunities

ECU is looking for more offshore opportunities after its best intake of international students.

“We have had an increase of 40-odd per cent in our international student intake this year,” Vice-Chancellor Steve Chapman said.

“We’re also pushing for more offshore activities so we’re looking for opportunities in Dubai, Sri Lanka, Singapore and China.

“Dubai’s a great Middle East base, so if you set things up there people from other Middle East countries can come.”

City and ECU link up online

THE City of Joondalup and ECU have collaborated to develop The Link website to drive innovation and business growth in the region.

It aims to show the benefits for businesses that connect with ECU for research and raise awareness of the City as a top investment location.

The Link will be officially launched at a City breakfast at Joondalup Resort tomorrow.