By Dr Diana Johnson
On Thursday 26 June 2025, Dr Diana Johnson and Dr Sam Mapston hosted a launch event for a newly created ‘Economic Crime Experts Directory’ at the Bristol Business School building, UWE Bristol.
The Directory is situated on the UWE Bristol website and can be accessed using the link below:
The Directory aims to facilitate connections between academics who publish research about economic crime with stakeholders, such as the government, law enforcement, civil society and policy makers, who may find the research useful.
The launch event featured two keynote speakers: Holly-Anne Brennan, Head of the International Illicit Finance Team in the Economic Crime Directorate, Home Office and Professor Michael Levi, Cardiff University.
There was also a panel discussion which discussed both the advantages and the problems associated with stakeholders finding relevant research. The panel, chaired by Diana, comprised representatives of various stakeholders and one academic:
- Kathryn Westmore (Senior Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute)
- James Bolton-Jones (Senior Policy Researcher, Spotlight on Corruption)
- Dr Jonathan Gilbert (Senior Lecturer in Law, UWE Bristol)
- Andrew Kennard (Detective Inspector, South West Regional Organised Crime Unit)
The event was attended by over 60 representatives from government, law enforcement, academia, civil society and the private sector, with plenty of opportunities for networking. It has received extremely positive feedback from attendees.
If you have any queries about this Directory, or if you would like to be added to it as either an expert or a stakeholder, please contact the Directory designers on the email addresses below:
- Dr Diana Johnson, Senior Lecturer, UWE Bristol (diana.johnson@uwe.ac.uk)
- Dr Sam Mapston, Senior Lecturer, UWE Bristol (samantha.mapston@uwe.ac.uk)