Shahrzad Fouladvand

Dr. Shahrzad Fouladvand is an Associate Professor in International Criminal Law at the University of Sussex's School of Law, Politics and Sociology. Her research focuses on transnational criminal law, human trafficking, and corruption, particularly their interplay in contexts like Albania. She previously worked at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), contributing to human rights conventions. A member of RUSI's Strategic Hub for Organised Crime (SHOC), she advocates holistic approaches to combating human trafficking beyond prosecution-centric methods. Dr. Fouladvand holds a PhD from the University of Sussex and is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.

Education:

• PhD in Law, University of Sussex (2008–2012)
• Common Professional Examination (CPE)/Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), University of Huddersfield (2012–2014)
• Certifications in Machine Learning for Social Scientists (2023) and Social Network Analysis (2020)

Research Interests: Dr. Fouladvand explores the nexus between human trafficking and corruption, emphasizing evidentiary challenges and institutional complicity. Her work integrates network analysis and responsibilisation frameworks, critiquing prosecution-centric approaches. Recent projects include a monograph on 'Human Trafficking, Corruption and Corporate Complicity' for Routledge, examining public-sector complicity in trafficking.

Key Contributions:

• Authored over 30 publications, including journal articles and book chapters on ICC jurisprudence, anti-corruption law, and trafficking dynamics.
• Advised UK parliamentary committees on human trafficking and migration policies.
• Edited volumes on transnational organized crime and economic criminology.

Awards and Fellowships:

• Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (2016)
• Visiting Scholarship at Max-Planck Institute (2021–2022)
• Elected Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Slavery for BACL

Labs/Teams: Active member of RUSI's SHOC, focusing on policy-relevant research to combat organized crime.