Forensic institute hosts African delegation

Law enforcement officials from various parts of Africa visited FIU’s International Forensic Research Institute (IFRI) last month as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program connects current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term programs reflecting the participants’ professional interests.

“This visit was another opportunity for IFRI faculty and staff to interact with the wonderful scientists that visit from around the world,” said IFRI Director José R. Almirall. “We were able to discuss the current problems they face in forensic science practice and offer possible solutions.”

For many of the participants, this was their first visit to the United States. The delegates from Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe represented diverse areas of law enforcement including child protection, financial intelligence, drug combat as well as legal and judicial affairs.

With interpreters at hand, the delegates attended presentations by the directors of the institute’s facilities – the Forensic DNA Profiling Facility, the Trace Evidence Analysis Facility and the Forensic and Analytical Toxicology Facility. They then toured the facilities and got a first-hand look at state-of-the-art equipment available to IFRI researchers.

Tatiana Trejos, director of the Trace Evidence Analysis Facility at IFRI, explains the facility’s research activities to the African delegation.

The Miami Council for International Visitors coordinated the visit to FIU providing an opportunity for the African delegation to examine major international and transnational crime issues affecting U.S.-Africa relations and advocate for greater international cooperation in combating criminal activity.