Student Life Last updated 28 February 2018
On Thursday 1 March, the Centre for Applied Criminology will launch its latest research cluster – the Birmingham Urban Studies cluster.
Headed by criminologist Dr Mohammed Rahman, the cluster will examine crime in Birmingham, looking at both causation and prevention. This is in line with the University’s core aim to support the transformation of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area.
The cluster will fill a niche in UK crime research as, unlike other major cities in the country, Birmingham lacks substantial academic research centres solely dedicated to urban crime. It is hoped that, in the long term, the Birmingham Urban Studies research cluster will provide better insight into organised, gang and hate crime, which in turn can help inform preventative measures put in place by law enforcement agencies and local government.
The centre will formally launch during an event being held at the Curzon Building, room C502/503, on Thursday night at 5pm. The two-hour event will see a host of keynote speeches from speakers with diverse backgrounds, including criminologists, scholars, practitioners and community leaders.
Amongst those talking at the event is criminal justice practitioner Tanayah Sam, who said: “As a Birmingham-based criminal justice practitioner, I'm really excited about the Birmingham Urban Studies research cluster. The inner city community of Birmingham will play a vital role in this research cluster and their role will be acknowledged.”
“This is an innovative and bold approach by Birmingham City University that gives credence to the power of working in partnerships. Birmingham is a city that has unique criminal trends and has been at the centre of criminal justice matters nationally over the years. We hope the cluster’s collaborative approach will bring great benefit to the city of Birmingham.”
Academics at the event will include Craig Pinkney, an Urban Youth Specialist from University College Birmingham. He said: “This is a good look for Birmingham and the West Midlands, as this will be an amazing platform to bridge the gap between academics and frontline workers specialising in areas such as urban street gangs, organised crime, county lines, radicalisation, child sexual exploitation, crime and deviance as a whole.”
“I am honoured to be a part of this cluster, as I am excited to see the potential impact that innovative and ground-breaking research will have on policy, practice and those affected by these issues.”
The event is free to attend, and you can apply for tickets via Eventbrite. You can contact Dr Rahman directly if you have any further questions by email.