Published September 16, 2014
Dr. Robert D. Hanser, professor and coordinator of the criminal justice program at
the University of Louisiana at Monroe, recently visited with officials of the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria.
While in Austria, Hanser represented both ULM and the International Police Executive
Symposium (IPES) for a two day meeting with various United Nations (U.N.) experts
to discuss topics which included human trafficking, international prison operations,
and offender treatment programming. As a result of this trip, Hanser will conduct
interviews and collaborate with key personnel who supervise prison related issues
addressed by the U.N.
“This was an amazing opportunity to visit the headquarters in Vienna and sit with
international leaders who work in specialized criminal justice fields,” said Hanser.
“Having the ability to collaborate with these leaders in the international arena can
open many doors in the future and can also link ULM to projects that impact the entire
global community.”
“The more you connect with different officials and scholars, the more you receive
invitations for mutual working relationships in other areas of the world,” Hanser
continued. “We have already received two requests to provide assistance. One from
a university in South Africa with issues related to campus sexual assault and another
invitation from China to provide lectures on immigration and border control issues.”
Upon completing his trip in Austria, Hanser joined Dr. Attapol Kuanliang, associate
professor of criminal Justice, in Sofia, Bulgaria for the 25th Annual Meeting of the
International Police Executive Symposium. While there, Hanser and Kuanliang hosted
a luncheon to showcase ULM to various faculty and practitioners from various areas
around the world. In addition, both presented papers during the conference.
Hanser presented “Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence and the College
Campus,” and Kuanliang presented “Relationship between Alzheimer’s and Missing Persons.”
In response to his experience in Sofia, Kuanliang said “It was an honor to represent
ULM on the international stage. These meetings are important as they spread knowledge
about ULM. As a result of this event, we have universities in three different countries
that have expressed interest in developing formal memorandums of understanding as
testament to future partnerships.”
Both Kuanliang and Hanser work together in various research and publishing capacities,
both domestically and internationally.
They find that this activity keeps them alert and up-to-date when teaching at ULM
as it allows them to demonstrate to students research and publications that ULM professors
produce that are cited and used by professors and practitioners in other areas of
the nation and throughout the world.
