18 | BALKAN CRIMINOLOGY

BASICS:Between 2014 and 2019 the Balkan Criminology Course was one of the annual highlights of the Max Planck Partner Group’s events throughout the region and far beyond. It has been part of the scientific programme of the Max Planck Partner Group (2012-2019), jointly established between the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg/Germany and the Faculty of Law - University of Zagreb/Croatia, funded by Germany’s leading research foundation - the Max Planck Society. Its aim has been to provide in-depth and up-to-date knowledge about the state of art in crime research in the Balkans, while introducing its participants to the basics of criminological methodology, phenomenology and aetiology. Continuing with this tradition, as of spring 2020 the Balkan Criminology Course shifts its focus back to some of the most pressing security threats and crime challenges of the region: organised crime and criminal state capture. The course as of 2020 also takes a much more practical and “hands-on” approach, while keeping its high academic standards. The course is a non-profit academic/training event, financially supported by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime through its new global programme aimed at incubating resilience in communities harmed or threatened by criminal governance, the Resilience Fund, and the Zagreb Law Faculty.

COURSE GOAL:The focus is on investigative journalism, civil society activism and theiractualor potential interlinkages with criminal justice agencies countering organised crime, in order to build resilience in local communities of the Balkans. The basic idea behind the intensive one-week-course is to bring together reporters and activists, as well as criminal justice professionals and scholars, in order to jointly discuss their different approaches and targets when tackling organised crime, while identifying common ground and areas of overlap and cooperation.The week-long intensive program will not only provide participants with fruitful transdisciplinary and transprofessional discussions as well as a broadened view on organised crime, it will also equip them with access to a regional and international network of experts and colleagues, thus making them a part of a broader and seriously engaged community.

HIGHLIGHTS:The programme includes interactive key note lectures by leading figures from practice and academia with extensive exchange and discussion opportunity, participants’ presentations (impulse talks/papers),individual consultations and soft skills training. As a special feature the course offers: based on prior participant input and interest in a specific field, participants will have the opportunity to discuss individual topics one-on-one with renowned expert lectures in a very informal and open setting (so called consultation lunches).

CREDITS:The programme offers 4 ECTS credits based on an attendance certificate issued by the course director and IUC Dubrovnik. Precondition is the regular attendance of the course program and delivery of a participant presentation in oral and written form (so called impulse talk/paper).

SOCIAL PROGRAM: Welcome reception at the IUC Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik sight-seeing, movie night and joint dinner discussions etc.

COSTS:The course fee for participants is 150 Euro which include enrolment, participation in all course events and access to participant materials/infrastructure. In addition to the course fee, all participants are required to pay a 50 Euro fee to the IUC Dubrovnik upon arrival for usage of facilities.Participants are expected to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements and cover these costs – formal invitation letters for scholarship applications may be sent to dedicated participants. The fee must be paid in advance by wire transfer. Further information will be included in the course registration confirmation.

SCHOLARSHIPS: In 2020, due to the generous support of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime through its new global programme aimed at incubating resilience in communities harmed or threatened by criminal governance, the Resilience Fund, a limited number of scholarships are available to participants from the Balkan region. The scholarship covers the course participation fee, the IUC fee, as well as travel and accommodation costs. Interested participants should contact Ms Reana Bezić latest by 1st November 2019.

ACCOMMODATION: There is a special rate for the Balkan Criminology Course participants at RIXOS Libertas hotel in Dubrovnik. The price for a single room occupancy is 60 Euro per night and person, for double room occupancy it is 40 Euro per night and person (80 Euro per night per room). Buffet breakfast is included, upgrade to half board with dinner provided is 10 Euro per day per person. Please contact Ms Reana Bezić for assistance with booking and/or travel arrangements.

COURSE LECTURERS:

MICHAEL REZENDES,Associated Press: 2003 Pulitzer Prize for investigating the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, as well as the George Polk award for National Reporting, the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting, and numerous other honours

ROBIN MCDOWELL, Associated Press (tbc): 2016 Pulitzer Prize for an investigation of severe labour abuses tied to the supply of seafood to American supermarkets and restaurants, reporting that freed 2,000 slaves, brought perpetrators to justice and inspired reforms

JÜRGEN STOCK, Secretary General of INTERPOL (tbc):prior to becoming Secretary General, Mr Stock was a Vice-President of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) from 2004 to 2014, before which he held several leadership positions within law enforcement development institutions. Mr Stock is of German nationality and holds a PhD in Law. Honorary Professor for Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Giessen, Germany

ANNA-MARIA GETOŠ KALAC, University of Zagreb, Croatia: founder of Balkan Criminology and Head of the Max Planck Partner Group for Balkan Criminology 2012-2019; Head of the Violence Research Lab; associate professor for criminology, victimology and criminal law, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb; Guest Professor at University of Lausanne’s School of Criminal Sciences

HANS-JÖRG ALBRECHT, Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Freiburg, Germany: Director emeritus and acting director of the Institute’s Criminology Department; honorary professor and faculty member at the law faculty of the University of Freiburg. He is a guest professor at the Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the China University of Political Science and Law and at the law faculties of Hainan University, Renmin University, Wuhan University, Beijing Normal University, and Dalian Ocean University

UGLJEŠA ZVEKIĆ, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, Vienna, Austria: Permanent Observer Office of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO) to United Nations; Former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Serbia to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva; Adjunct Professor, School of Government, LUISS, Rome, Italy, Law School, University Rome III, Rome, Italy; Visiting Professor, Law School, University of Belgrade, Serbia

DMITRIJS CEPLIS, former Top OCG Team leader of the EU Drugs and Organised Crime Unit at Europol, in charge of the Albanian speaking and WB OCGs, as well as other top level poly-criminal OCGs

DAVOR DERENČINOVIĆ, University of Zagreb, Croatia: President of the Independent Expert Group for Implementation of the Council of Europe's Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) (member 2009-2012 and 2017-2020; Vice President 2011-2012; President 2019-); Ad hoc judge of the European Court of Human Rights (2010-); Member of the Council of Europe Multidisciplinary Group for Combating Corruption (GMC, 2010); Member of the Council of Europe's Counter-Terrorism Panel (CODEXTER, 2003-2004)