University of the Third Age (U3A) Lecture
On Tuesday 28 October, Dr Ian Warren presented an introductory lecture titled ‘What is Criminology and What Are We Doing About It?’ to the Geelong branch of University of the Third Age (U3A). U3A is a voluntary initiative involving over 1,000 retired people throughout the state of Victoria. The program enables retirees to continue lifelong learning, by investigating areas of study they were unable to pursue during their working lives.
Ian’s lecture provided a brief overview summarising the modern origins of criminological theory, based around a series of significant historical events. It then explored several examples of prosecutions involving foreign nationals, where the rules of procedure or fairness are often compromised. The lecture then concluded with a brief summary of several research projects undertaken by Deakin staff that highlight their commitment to law and policy reform in various areas of criminal justice administration.
This lecture was extremely well-received by those who attended, many of whom had no prior understanding of the ’science of criminology’ or its relationship to the processes of law reform and policy formulation. Ian has received several positive verbal and email ‘comments that followed from many people after … [this] talk in the U3A Deakin lecture series’ requesting future participation in the Geelong U3A program.