Lausanne, 25 October – The University of Lausanne’s School of Criminal Justice (ESC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) strengthen their collaboration through the signature of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

This partnership aims to enhance migration management through shared expertise, research, and advanced training, supporting efforts not only in Tunisia but also in other countries seeking enhanced expertise in migration and border governance.

The signing ceremony was held on 25 October at the ESC during the closing of a successful document fraud identification course for the Tunisian National Guard. The event brought together representatives from IOM Missions in Tunisia and Bern, as well as officials from the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), whose funding and longstanding support were pivotal in realizing this partnership. With a shared vision for international cooperation, the SEM's ongoing commitment to capacity-building and equipment support highlights Switzerland’s dedication to fostering effective migration governance solutions.

Gisela Schluep, Policy Advisor at SEM stated that “Rights-based and professional migration management is only possible if the actors involved have the necessary knowledge. The partnership with ESC makes it possible to pass on the existing theoretical knowledge to practitioners in our partner countries.”  

Founded in the early 20^th century, the ESC was the world’s first forensic science school and remains one of Europe’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary education in this field. The partnership with IOM aligns the ESC’s cutting-edge research with IOM’s global expertise in immigration and border governance, bridging academic innovation with real-world applications.

“This MoU underscores the impact of bringing together academia and organizational expertise to enhance migration management,” commented the IOM Bern Chief of Mission, Berta Fernandez. "By leveraging each other’s strengths, we can contribute significantly to building resilient, responsive systems for countries worldwide.”

“Building on the success of our previous joint training initiatives, the ESC is eager to support the development and consolidation of forensic expertise in migration. Our objective will be to assist countries and forensic experts in detecting fraudulent travel documents, identifying missing persons, and combating human trafficking.” concluded ESC Director, Christophe Champod.

As IOM’s Immigration and Border Governance (IBG) initiatives continue to expand globally, the collaboration with ESC is a vital step toward equipping partner nations with the technical knowledge and tools they need.

This MoU serves as a powerful example of how partnerships between the IOM, academia and Member States can further empower countries with the knowledge needed to develop enhanced expertise in migration and security for the coming years.

For more information about ESC’s programs, click here.

For more information on IOM Immigration and Border Governance (IBG) activities, click here.