Criminal Justice Doctoral Students Participate in Summer Program at UN Headquarters in Vienna

Criminal Justice Doctoral Students Participate in Summer Program at UN Headquarters in Vienna

This past June, Sam Houston State University (SHSU) criminal justice doctoral students, Kelly Martinez and Zoe Hayes, attended a two-week international summer program covering transnational crime and justice. The program was hosted in Vienna, Austria, by the Alliance of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) on Crime Prevention and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UN-ODC).

“When I saw this opportunity come up, I knew I wanted to apply,” said Hayes. “It’s a grad school bucket list item to be able to study abroad since it’s not something that you think you’ll get the opportunity to do, especially not at the UN.”

The program involved attending the 35^th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, connecting with UN leadership, participating in round table discussions with fellow doctoral students and engaging in learning sessions and presentations focusing on SHERLOC (Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws on Crime), the UN’s case law management system.

“It was really beneficial because you get to meet all these researchers and see what they’re doing and how it applies to their countries. Everybody is getting a perspective that they hadn’t considered before,” said Martinez. “It was refreshing because everyone was willing to learn from each other and it’s not an opportunity you would have on a regular basis.”

For Hayes, who looks forward to an alternative academic career, the chance to explore the variety of organizations and pathways available to both researchers and practitioners was particularly enjoyable.

“Sometimes there’s not a lot of opportunities for graduate students to see a route other than teaching,” Hayes said. “It was very eye-opening to really see what applied research and practice looks like and observe the educational dialogue taking place to better understand each other and bridge the gaps.”

With the immersive program wrapped up, Martinez and Hayes hope that more graduate students stay informed and seek similar experiences.

“This was an opportunity we found out through email and just happened to read in passing. Don’t be afraid to apply and ask your professors questions,” said Hayes. “I’m very grateful to have been able to represent SHSU on an international platform.”