Research Master in European and International Criminology Erasmus Project

Project Title

Research Master in European and International Criminology

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Home and justice affairs (human rights & rule of law)

Project Summary

The objective of this Erasmus + Strategic Partnership “ReMEIC” involving five universities – the Universities of Rotterdam (EUR) (NL), Ghent (BE), Kent (UK), Bologna (UNIBO) (IT) and Istanbul (Koç) (TK) – was to develop and implement a two-year research master’s programme in European and international criminology focused on transnational crime and crime control related to the increasing global movement of people, goods and data and the tension between security and social justice. The need for a joint international programme that focuses on border crossing, security and social justice follows from the increasing demand for highly-skilled and socially engaged experts who are able to respond to how crime and crime control are changing in connection to increasing global mobility across Europe and the world and continuous efforts of the EU to build a common criminal justice area within its external borders. Border-crossing challenges such as large-scale regular and irregular migration, geo-political conflicts, transnational organised and corporate crime, human smuggling and trafficking, terrorism and radicalization, cybercrime, human rights, social exclusion and integration, and the increase of hate crimes, racism and xenophobia, continuously raise new questions for joint international approaches to border control, security and social justice.
From September 2019, three European universities (EUR, UGhent, UKent) start the International Master’s in Advanced Research in Criminology (IMARC) subtitled Border crossing, security and social justice. Koç University and UNIBO were both unable to participate in IMARC but remain involved as associate partners.

The SP enabled consortium partners to develop the first 2-year joint master’s programme in European and international criminology which centres around transnational issues and policies, international mobility and cross-cultural experience. A further result is a functioning network of academic and non-academic partners, both involved in the curriculum, quality enhancement and mobility opportunities, which optimises the connection between education and the international labour market and thus student employability in various sectors (e.g. government, NGO’s, non-profit and for-profit organisations). International mobility is central to the programme, as students spend time at at least two universities and participate in an international student conference. In addition, IMARC will offer innovative, interactive teaching methods, in which the strengths of informal learning and social media are optimised.

The ReMEIC project was carried out by four universities who have brought ample albeit different research and teaching expertise in the field of international criminology: EUR’s Criminology Department (Erasmus School of Law), UGhent’s Department of Criminology, Criminal Law and Social Law (Faculty of Law and Criminology), UKent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, and UNIBO’s Department of Legal Studies (School of Law) and Department of Political and Social Sciences (School of Political Science). In addition, the consortium collaborates with four associate partner universities and a network of 40 non-academic partners.

The Strategic Partnership has resulted in four Intellectual Outputs:
IO1-Curriculum and Student Handbook including the curriculum, mobility paths, and practical information.
IO2-Stakeholder-based Guidebook for Research Cooperation, including an overview of relevant research topics and an overview of stakeholders, and thesis supervision and evaluation criteria.
IO3-Good Practice Guidelines for Informal Learning, intercultural and peer-to-peer learning and the use of social media, including guidelines for a workshop prior to a student conference.
IO4-European Joint Masters Quality Assurance Guide, including the IMARC Consortium Agreement.
In addition, four Multiplier Events to strengthen collaboration between education, research and practice and to disseminate insights from the project.

By facilitating international mobility in Europe, IMARC makes a significant contribution to the European Education Area that that guarantees free movement of students and encourages study and work in several European countries. IMARC also contributes to the objective of the Erasmus+ Programme, as outlined in the 2011 EU Modernisation Agenda, to fulfil universities’ role in individual and societal advancement, to foster highly skilled human capital and invest in experts that Europe needs. IMARC will contribute to improving the quality of higher education in the field of international criminology, border crossing, security and social justice by educating a new group of experts with the knowledge, skills, international outlook and cross-cultural sensitivity needed to address current issues faced by Europe and faced globally, and providing students with unique career opportunities in an international environment.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 270908 Eur

Project Coordinator

ERASMUS UNIVERSITEIT ROTTERDAM & Country: NL

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITY OF KENT
• UNIVERSITEIT GENT
• ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA