The ICRC and Cranfield: New ‘scene analysis’ training agreement announced for 2017

The ICRC Mission to the UK and Ireland and Cranfield University, a leading centre for the study of many forensic-related disciplines including ballistics and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN), have signed a training agreement. The new collaboration, set to run throughout 2017, will enable ICRC staff to both participate and contribute to the numerous study programmes at the university's Cranfield Forensic Institute (CFI), including its MSc Forensic Explosive and Explosion Investigation course, and a new training programme for the reporting of the conduct of hostilities.

"Our collaboration with Cranfield will help ICRC staff working in humanitarian situations all over the world to better assess post-explosion scenes in the field" said Stephen Donnelly, ICRC CBRN Technical Adviser based in the Weapons Contamination Unit. "Given the ICRC primarily works in conflict zones, it's important that we better understand the origin and type of explosives used in humanitarian crisis situations."

"This Memorandum of Understanding will help a generation of young academics consider the challenges of the ICRC and humanitarian assistance," said Stephen Johnson, Course Director and Lecturer at the CFI. "It will give ICRC access to expertise on weapons systems, injuries and the assessment of how hostilities are being conducted by all parties."

As part of the partnership, the ICRC will also send a variety of speakers to address students and play a role in setting the questions at the Master's and PhD level. An initial project is looking at developing the capacities to monitor hostilities and weapon systems use in conflict.

"We are looking forward to building a closer relationship with Cranfield University's Forensic Institute," said Mona Sadek, ICRC Deputy Head of Delegation to the UK and Ireland. "Cranfield has worked previously with the ICRC at the setup of its CBRN protective capability, so we look forward to developing our collaboration in forensics and scene analysis."

For more information about the CFI click here: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/centres/cranfield-forensic-institute