1. EFEN Inès Gallala Claire gwinnett
European Forensic Educational Network ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships project
EFEN
Inès Gallala
Claire gwinnett

2. The EFEN project Background Project Output international education
partners

3. Background to Project
Crime is increasingly becoming transnational with many crimes requiring cross-border collaboration
The European Union has recently highlighted the need for a single ‘European Forensic Science Area’ (EFSA)
Does not cover Forensic Science Education
Need for mechanism to share best practice between countries

4. Background to EFEN
In 2012, a Forensic Academic Network (FAN) was created by Avans College (NL) and Staffordshire University (UK)
FAN contained 14 partners from across the EU, which included both industry and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) working within the criminal justice system.
Six lead partners sought and were successful in obtaining funding for a 3 year project from the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership 2014 call

5. Project partners

6. Project Introduction Aims:
To develop an inclusive European network for forensic science education institutions and industry partners to facilitate collaborative research; learning and teaching; EU agendas in forensic science and links between industry and HE.
To gain an insight into the current state of forensic and crime science education in Europe
To develop a series of fit-for purpose resources incl. a validated postgraduate program, 15 credit module and online open access material in international forensic science, criminal investigations and law.
Grant agreement: €
Start date: End date:
Benefits of EFEN
Share best practice at European level
Linking HE with industry across the EU
Collaborative research
Facilitate EU funding bids
Increase staff and student mobilities

7. Areas for Collaborative Practice
Forensic education and research police and practice
CSI strategies
Quality assurance in FS education – accreditation
Policing science research – new investigative strategies
Validation of new technologies
Evidence interpretation ….
Open to new partners  contact @

8. Physical Outputs

9. International Forensic and Crime Science Education
Many institutions provide Forensic Science related education programmes
Countries maturity Forensic Science
Government funding
Breadth of HE provision
Content and ultimately quality variation differences across institutions
How international are the extant FS programmes?
CG to emphasise the CSI effect upon course development/numbers across Europe

10. Baseline Study
Design & scope
Methodology
Results

11. Baseline study: design and scope
Analysis of the current situation regarding forensic education in Europe, to identify the starting points for the EFEN program
Forensic: any course relating to the use of scientific knowledge/methods for the solving of crime
Education: full education programs and courses in higher educations institutions (HEI’s)  no police-integrated trainings etc.
Europe: all 28 MS (UK?)
I would suggest including the criteria that was used to search, the categories utilised for the different courses, i.e. how these were collated (UG and PG, course title etc), mechanisms for identifying content

12. Baseline study: methodology
Identify all HEI’s in every concerned MS
do a thorough on-line search for educations offered in forensics, specific attention to curriculum and BA/MA distinction  full programs  courses embedded in other educations: medicine law criminology dentistry physics psychology engineering biomedicine chemistry IT biology
Contact national bureaus & institutes who are members of ENFSI for comments & additional information

13. Baseline study: results - HEI
N° of HEI/country offering FS

14. Baseline study: results - topical
Variation in content between countries

16. Identification of human parasites in forensic expertise
Legal medicine
Identification of human parasites in forensic expertise
Micro methods in forensic analysis
Forensic odontology
Law and forensic sciences
Digital forensics
Forensic psychology/psychiatry
Forensic sexology
Forensic linguistics
Chemical criminalistics
Forensic methodology
Forensic phonetics
Biomedical criminalistics
Forensic voice expert
Sexual assault forensic examination
Forensic sciences
Forensic nursing
Forensic engineering
Forensic sciences & technology
Pharmaceutical sciences in forensics
Applied forensic science in mental health services
Forensic identification techniques
Forensic science and crime scene investigation
Forensic genetics
Forensic family studies
Forensic chemistry
Forensic lab work
Forensic accounting and fraud investigation
Handwriting analysis
Forensic botany
Forensic technologies for social media
Forensic toxicology
Forensic palynology
Biological and forensic trace evidence analysis
Forensic entomology
Policing & criminal investigation
Forensic social work
Fire investigation
Forensic anthropology
Forensic photography …
Forensic osteology
All available topics across Europe
Put in correct order/topics together

17. Baseline study: results - UG vs G/PG
Edit colors to make more visible The NL & IE only ones with more attention to UG.

18. Baseline study: results – added value of EFEN
>< Existing transnational forensic educations ~ Erasmus Mundus (SP)
Open to all students & practitioners in different countries with possibility of long distance learning
Focus on inter- & transnational investigations
1 year PG
No set route followed (time & space)
EFEN partners offers network

19. Next Steps….

20. Across Borders Education: Development of a Postgraduate Program in International FS
Aim: to offer an insight into forensic science and policing practices across Europe and the rest of the world in order to create awareness of cross-border investigation protocols and provide professional development for individuals planning to work or already working in investigations that involve multiple countries

22. Postgraduate Program in International Forensic and Crime Science
Content informed by practitioner partners, Government reports and student survey
124 UG students surveyed at partner HEIs
Investigated
preferred topics, skills and activities to be included in the program
skills and knowledge they currently have including their aspirations of working in an international setting
72.6% would like to work at an international level within the criminal justice system
85.5% stated that they would need more specific skills
88% believe that having international FS knowledge/skills would make them more employable
75% of the students indicated that they would be interested in studying for the postgraduate International Forensic and Crime Science program

23. Proposed Modules
International Crime Scene Management and Policing Investigations
International and European (Forensic Criminal) Law
International Forensic Examinations
Practical Based Module including assessments of modules 1, 2 and 3

24. Thank you Inès Gallala inesgallala@vub.ac.be Claire Gwinnett
Thank you