Meet the Researchers at the MPI for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
A video series introduces the work and life of researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg.
Why are some people more likely to commit crime than others? Which kind of criteria do citizens accept if the Corona crisis forces doctors to apply triage? Or: Why it is not unreasonable to fear terrorism? These are questions that scientists at the MPI investigate – and explain. Under the hashtag #MeetTheResearchers, a bi-weekly video series showcases a researcher and his/her field of research and discusses why Freiburg is a wonderful place to live and work.
The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law consists of three research departments: Criminology, Public Law, and Criminal Law. The Institute's focus is on basic research as well as on application research due to its interdisciplinary legal, social science and psychological research approach.
Studying the behavior of burgulars with VR
Take for example the Department of Criminology: Its research program focuses on the role of individual dispositions and environmental factors as they relate to crime and the application of novel technologies, such as virtual reality, to deepen our understanding of criminal decision-making and offender rehabilitation. To get to know the department from the perspective of the researchers working there, watch the video episode with Dr. Dominik Gerstner, Postdoc in the Department of Criminology and trained sociologist! Gerstner‘s research focus is on spatiotemporal crime analysis with an emphasis on the evaluation of applied predictive policing technology in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. In his research he is using virtual reality (VR) to study the behavior of burgulars.
The role of plurality in criminal law
Dr. Clara Rigoni is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Criminal Law and started her international research career after completing her Master in Law at the University in Bologna in 2011. At the moment, she is investigating conflict regulation in Germany’s Plural Society to learn how we can guarantee effective crime control in diverse societies. Watch her video and see what makes Freiburg and the MPI ideal places to live and work.
Further information:
13 Max-Planck Institutes are situated in Baden-Württemberg. The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science has produced more Nobel Prize winners than other research organization in Germany. With a strong network around the world, Max Planck scientists frequently engage in international collaborations. Also read here a bit more in detail about top research and study opportunities in Baden-Württemberg.
Author: Leonie Rörich