AMBER Alert Europe, European Centre for Missing Children, has signed formal cooperation agreements with three universities as part of its work to improve the protection and prevention of children from going missing, missing persons in Europe, as well as the protection of fundamental rights of persons in unresolved (cold) cases. Goldsmiths, University of London (UK), Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (Germany) and Southern University at New Orleans (USA) are long-standing participants in AMBER Alert Europe’s global academic network of 54 universities. The agreements build on their involvement in the International Cold Case Analysis Project (ICCAP) and provide a framework for broader cooperation on research, education and evidence-based policy related to missing children, child protection and victims’ rights. AMBER Alert Europe is pleased to introduce these three universities and the expertise they bring to its academic network.

Goldsmiths, University of London (United Kingdom)

Goldsmiths was founded in 1891, specialises in arts, design, humanities, computing and social sciences. Within its Department of Psychology, a dedicated Research Hub focuses on forensic and clinical psychology. The Hub combines research, specialist teaching and consultancy for law enforcement on topics such as evidence-gathering, eyewitness identification, and offender assessment and management. Goldsmiths collaborates closely with police forces, prisons, charities and NHS agencies. Its Master of science programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society, taught by leading practitioners and includes real-world placements with the NHS, police and probation services.

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (Germany)

The university is one of the foremost in Germany in the field of digital forensics. This public technical university, with campuses in Cottbus and Senftenberg, offers a long-running, practice-oriented master’s programme in Forensic Sciences and Engineering that combines scientific, engineering and legal training for criminal investigations. The university is known for its strengths in IT and security, exemplified by the Control Systems and Cyber Security Lab. This expertise supports key aspects of digital forensics, including secure systems, networks and data handling, and it complements classical forensic training.

Southern University at New Orleans (United States)

The university was founded in 1956, and has a strong legacy in social work and community service. Its Criminal Justice department includes faculty whose teaching and research span criminology, criminal profiling, juvenile delinquency, corrections and policing. In addition to its forensic science programme, the university offers Victimology courses within both forensic science and criminal justice, adding important expertise on victims’ experiences and needs.

Strengthening AMBER Alert Europe’s academic network

AMBER Alert Europe is proud that Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg and Goldsmiths, University of London have been involved in ICCAP since the very beginning of the project and that they continue to participate actively with their students. Southern University at New Orleans joined ICCAP for the first time in 2024. As of 2025, building on the excellent collaboration between AMBER Alert Europe and Southern University at New Orleans, we look forward to welcoming their students and experts to new editions of the ICCAP project

Current and future cooperation agreements strengthen AMBER Alert Europe’s academic network and help ensure that research and evidence-based policy remain at the core of our work.

For more information, please contact us at info@amberalert.eu.