The University is the first higher educational institution that the Investigation Service has established a professional partnership with in its 20-year history.
The University of Portsmouth has signed a new partnership with the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia to help combat economic crime in the country.
The University is the first higher educational institution that the Investigation Service has established a professional partnership with in its 20-year history. The Investigation Service is a specialised enforcement authority that prevents, detects and conducts full-scale investigations of financial-economic crimes in Georgia.
During the signing ceremony, Vakhtang Paresishvili, Deputy Head of Investigation Service, and Dr David Shakarashvili, Deputy Head of International Relations and Legal Division, discussed with University representatives the importance of the collaboration and sharing experiences on methodology and practice.
Dr David Shakarashvili, Deputy Head of International Relations and Legal Division (left) and Vakhtang Paresishvili, Deputy Head of Investigation Service at the signing ceremony.
The aim of the partnership is to explore future research projects in the area of economic crime and other relevant crimes, especially when it comes to their functioning, prevention, investigation and detection. It will deliver courses for Investigation Service staff, including distance learning and on-campus learning; and create and develop joint specialised research and education centres.
The University’s Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime (CCEC) and Economic Crime Research Group in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice will cooperate closely with the Investigation Service in order to advance the qualification of its investigators and relevant staff. It will provide them with valuable expertise and extensive knowledge, as well as enhanced research, teaching and innovation skills in these fields.
This initiative is led by Dr Branislav Hock, Associate Professor in Economic Crime and Compliance, with colleagues from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Mark Button, Dr Nick Pamment, and Gary Dalton.
This initiative builds on other cooperation initiatives the CCEC and Economic Crime Research Group has recently set up with law enforcement authorities in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. These have strengthened our global reputation for the effectiveness of our partnerships and delivering solutions that improve society.
Dr Hock said: “We are thrilled to be signing this Memorandum of Understanding with the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia. We’re committed to growing this partnership and are looking forward to seeing how the collaboration develops in the future.
“This initiative builds on other cooperation initiatives the CCEC and Economic Crime Research Group has recently set up with law enforcement authorities in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. These have strengthened our global reputation for the effectiveness of our partnerships and delivering solutions that improve society.”
The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice was founded in 1992 and is internationally-recognised for its study of crime, its causes, and the societal and personal impact that it has. It is now the largest criminology department in the UK, with over 2000 students, studying at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level.
As well as its education, the School promotes the development of professionalism and professionalisation within criminal justice and related agencies, including:
- It holds an important contract with the Ministry of Justice, to train Probation Officers in England and Wales – the School trains over 50 per cent of the country’s probation officers and delivers all aspects of the Community Justice Learning Framework.
- The School is part of the Police Education Consortium, consisting of 4 UK universities, which was established in 2017 to support the national implementation of the Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) introduced by the College of Policing.
It also has a track record of delivering high-quality police education, including Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, Degree Holder Entry Programme and Detective Degree Holder Entry Programme, to our force partners in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire.
- The School has just completed its second contract delivering courses on the Wildlife Crime Leadership Initiative, a unique training programme that builds leadership abilities among enforcement officers to better counter wildlife trafficking, led by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
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