An annual academic de-brief and career orientation meeting was organised for our students on Friday, 21 July 2023. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce students to growing segments in the industry of Forensic Sciences investigations. The meeting includes a panel of esteemed experts from across the globe.
Yarisa Walsh is an expert in financial and organised crime investigations and Director of the Center of Excellence in Business Management, Financial Crime and Digital Technologies at EFI. Dr Geetha Rubasundram, Programme Leader at EFI, is a forensic accountant and expert in ESG and responsible business management.
Friedrich Steiner is the Head of one of the Crime Analysis units in Austria since 2005, Founder and President of the European Association of Crime Analysts, and also the Director of the Center of Excellence in Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Crime Analysis at our Institution. Dr Vahab Iranmanesh’s expertise lies in the areas of Information Systems and Digital Forensics, especially in information security and cyber security. Andreas Melinato, our Head of Institution, is a forensic engineer and an expert in fire investigations.
The purpose of the career orientation is for students to understand the evolving and constantly growing fields in the world of forensics. The experts provide students with comprehensive detail of their own experiences in their individual fields, along with explaining the newly emerging trends and increasing demands when it comes to the people who are experts in these fields.
In order to work effectively, tailor-made concepts in which the possibility of continuous adaption is taken into account. The experts explain how in spite of many new innovations and revolutions, we are still not where we want to be. The opportunities for committing crimes and fraud are very easily available nowadays, and there is a growing need for people who are qualified and trained to work along the judicial system in the fight against these crimes.
EFI also introduced two new Master’s Programmes. One in Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Crime Analysis, headed by Dr Vahab Iranmanesh, and the other one in Business Management, Financial Crimes and Digital Technologies headed by Dr Geetha Rubasundram.
Both programme leaders describe the knowledge, understanding and expertise that can be gained from these courses along with explaining the need for these skills in the real world in the fight against organised, fraudulent and digital crimes.
In the end, a Q&A session is held where experts answer questions and provide valuable advice and insights to the students. One very important piece of advice from the experts for the students is the importance of recognising and following your passion. Trying to dabble in different skills to make sure you love what you do, working on your emotional intelligence along with your skill sets so as not to fall prey to your anger or frustration and maintaining a very professional outlook on every kind of work situation, making sure to be curious and seek out knowledge about the field of your interest along with building your network, and always trying to find new and important information to keep yourself up-to-date.
Watch the full panel discussion here.
