“Keeping on conducting surveys recognized as of benefit to the country is a strong point of success for Swiss universities and institutes like ICDP”, Professor Martin Killias, pioneer criminologist

By Camille Bozonnet

Professor Martin Killias has just left the University of Lausanne, where he built a twenty-five-year career in the field of criminal law and criminology. He produced, with his small team, a valued collection of surveys concerning homicides and other acts of violence, juvenile delinquency, feelings of insecurity, social reactions to crimes, etc. If the amazing success of the US TV show CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) has brought him too many students in recent years, it contrasts distinctly with his modest beginnings in a closet-sized office, from which grew the now renowned and powerful ICDP (Institut de Criminologie et de Droit Pénal). Now on his way back to Zurich, where he studied, Martin Killias is not willing to paint a rosy picture, but he nevertheless shares his optimism for the future.

Did you learn anything noteworthy along your academic road?

Zurich’s self-learning policy is quite close to the system I experienced at the State University of New York at Albany. Classes are much more interactive there, students asking thousands of questions, good ones, and plenty of silly ones, too. It’s still the case today. I can hold a seminar in Zurich without me participating! The University of Lausanne is the opposite. You face a systematic silence no matter how many direct questions you ask. Silence makes teaching easier, however.

How do you explain this situation?

It’s due to the different mentalities, of course, and to the school systems not encouraging the same processes. Studies are much more structured in Lausanne and guided by strong rules. Which is good for excellent students, a large majority of them actually, as it is an extremely selective university. And bad for average students who lack initiative. However, I do not judge any system. But I would love something in between.

What are the qualities of Swiss universities?

Languages first. Our teaching is not “symbolic”. Everybody is able to read and write in English and in a third foreign language. Then I would mention our intellectual open-mindedness, the two being intimately linked to each other. We do not know everything andwe are always very careful to use quotations from every country or so, because we have access to them in their original languages. Which is definitely not the case of all European countries, speaking for example, of French and German researchers. It would be interesting to rank European universities according to the extent they integrate research conducted outside their borders into their publications.

Are you proud of the ICDP’s reputation abroad?

I am personally amazed at the number of foreign students coming and wishing to come. But there are a few objective indicators. Although there’s not a clear ranking, it looks like we are one of the top centres of criminology in Europe, probably the second one in terms of the number of the Institute’s publications. A trump card for our 22-person office. We are very active, perhaps thanks to its small size. In the contrary you often keep to yourself and your own personal career. But the main reason is research. It’s most fortunate that our universities do not yet separate research from teaching.

Why?

Because, as a teacher, it gives you the opportunity to confront your students with your research, something you haven’t sorted out yet. On the other hand, it gives Master’s and PhD students the opportunity of “learning by doing”. It is therefore absolutely crucial to have strong research projects at those levels. Keeping on conducting surveys recognized as of benefit to the country is a strong point of success for Swiss universities and institutes like ICDP.

Is the system in danger?

Yes, it kind of is. It used to be small. Thirty years ago, less than ten percent of each birth cohort attended any university. With the number of students exploding, we are moving more in the direction of professional schools. If we extend the university system any further in this direction, we’ll lose its spirit, its specificity and end up proposing poor programs. Universities must focus on their mission, i.e. a combination of theory and research.

How else can the ICDP attract foreign students?

The strong presence of international teachers is highly appreciated. Which brings us back again to languages. We are also heavily involved in establishing international mobility. To that end, we often prefer informal agreements over formalized conventions and complicated processes of mutual recognition of diplomas. So far, it has proved to be quite functional ! Finally, our centre hosted over two years (2000-2002) the European Society of Criminology, which aims to encourage scholarly, scientific and practical exchange and cooperation among criminologists in Europe and elsewhere. It offered us extra international connections.

Are you going to build an institute of criminology in Zurich?

No, I’m not. It’s unreasonable. Our country is too small. The ambition is to keep to research as much as we can in Lausanne and foster the synergy with the criminalistics. But I would love to help develop a bilingual program between Zurich and Lausanne. That would draw universities towards each other. Cooperation between universities is the key to maintain our high level and our renowned success abroad. Even if it’s not the philosophy to be found everywhere, it is absolutely crucial to fight against centrifugal strengths and increase current cooperation. It is a big issue that I am personally deeply involved in since the beginning of my career.

Will you miss your people?

I will. Definitely. But I’m confident about ICDP’s future. The potential is there to continue on a very high level. I am more concerned about excessively long tenures and institutes totally shaped on one individual. Young people must see they do have perspective and might eventually take on positions of authority. I defend smooth successions and continuity.

Natalia’s point of view

Multiple prize-winning student Natalia Stadnic left Kishinev, Moldavia, to do research after having followed a Master’s program in history. First, she decided to go to France, but finally joined Martin Killias’ Institute at the University of Lausanne in 2004 – without any regrets.

Why Switzerland?

Moldavia pushes its excellent students to go to high schools abroad. My pre-doctorate director in Kishinev was interested in my academic future. And he would not have agreed to me going anywhere. Being a Fellow with a grant for one year, I could have experienced learning French, but it would have lasted only one year, without any perspective after the Master’s. It is a chance, but a one-year chance. As he’d heard about Lausanne’s reputation, he advised me to search for more information on the Internet. So I discovered ICDP’s website. Speaking French and having finished my paper on the evolution of the mentality of prisoners in 19th-century Moldavia, the information I found about the Master’s in Criminology got under my skin.

What happened then?

I wrote an e-mail to Mr Killias, who invited me to come to Switzerland. He was very interested in my research project for a PhD and was a great help in guiding me to the Swiss Confederation’s grants. Cooperation with federal authorities is a specificity of Lausanne’s University.

When did you start?

Professor Killias insisted on me doing a two-year Master’s degree beforehand, to complete my basic formation in history and penology, showing there the Institute’s opening onto the different profiles, especially those not directly suitable.

Didn’t you feel like you were losing your time during this extra two-year period?

No, I did not. The ICDP is one of the best criminology centres in Europe. I also met there famous teachers from Switzerland, and also key figures from Holland, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, the USA, etc. I’m also learning German and Italian on top of French. Mr. Killias encourages people to be fluent in different foreign languages. In 2005, I had the chance to start working in the ICDP on the victims’ database and to participate on surveys for the European Society of Criminology. Besides, it was an extraordinary opportunity to familiarize myself with a big choice of subjects, meaning a very good base to build on. I learnt what I can do and what I want to do.

Did you make the right choice?

Sure. A Master’s degree in Criminology from Lausanne University already allows you to stand out in the European circle. It then gives you the green light for almost any PhD in the criminology research area. I am now more than ready to do research in my field.

Which is?

Criminal and penitentiary policies.

How do you consider the future?

I’d like to continue my research. If the specialization in criminology doesn’t exist in my country, the chair does in the Faculty of Law. I’m careful at keeping some contacts I have there with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice. What I’m looking for are people willing to collaborate on international projects and surveys. I stand for research.

	Martin Killias Full Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Zurich Born in 1948 in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland Married, with three children
	1972 LLM, University of Zurich, Switzerland
	1979 MA in Sociology and Social Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
	1979 PhD, University of Zurich, Switzerland
	1980 Bar admission, canton of Zurich, Switzerland
	1980–1981 Postdoctoral Scholar of Criminology, State University of New York at Albany, USA
	1981–1986 Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
	1984 Part-time judge, Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland
	1986–2006 Full Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
	2000 Foundation of the European Society of Criminology
	2001– Head, ICDP (Institut de Criminologie et Droit Pénal), University of Lausanne, Switzerland
	2006– Full Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Zurich, Switzerland