Academics support Cambridge colleagues
ACADEMICS from around the world have shown their support for the Cambridge University staff caught up in the attack at Fishmongers’ Hall.
The five-year celebratory conference, held at the Grade II* listed building, brought together criminology researchers and convicted killers to discuss the criminal justice system.
Usman Khan is thought to have attended the morning session, taking part in various workshops, in which he described his experiences as a prisoner before launching his deadly attack.
The initiative was founded by Cambridge professors Ruth Armstrong and Amy Ludlow, from the Faculty of Law and Institute of Criminology, who met when they taught a university access course together that aimed “to inspire and capacitate bright young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to join our universities”.
Prior to the attack, academics and guests – including representatives from various charities, prisons, government and university departments – had excitedly posted pictures online of some of the seminars and workshops.
After the terror attack, academics from around the globe sent messages of support to those affected.
Dr Andrew Wooff, lecturer in criminology at Edinburgh Napier University, tweeted: “Thinking of all the @ CamCriminology and @JustisTogether people, particularly those at #LTturns5 yesterday. I hope you are all safe. The horrific events show the best and worst of humanity. #LondonBridge.” Bryonn
Bain, Associate professor in the department of African American Studies at UCLA, in California, is a prison reform activist who was running a workshop at the Learning Together conference.
He tweeted following the evacuation: “London Bridge Attack. Bomb threat and stabbings at London Bridge. I’m here for the Cambridge U prison ed alumni event. Bomber is dead. Shot by London special forces. Another killed. Two injured. Evacuating to a survivors center. I’m OK. Be grateful for every day.”
Others were keen to stress that while Khan had been a former prisoner, so too were some of those who tried to stop him. David Wilson, emeritus professor of riminology at Birmingham City University, tweeted: “#cambridgeuniversity and their ‘learning together’ initiative is wonderful. What they have achieved should not be undermined by #LondonBridgeAttack I am obviously aware that two prisoners were involved – the attacker and a second who tried to prevent it.”
The Learning Together initiative began when the Cambridge University academics researched what might happen if their access course students and the people they met in prison were able to study together.
The programme began at HMP Grendon in January 2015 with a criminology course. It was then rolled out within the University of Cambridge to several other subjects across Grendon, Warren Hill and Whitemoor prisons.
Since then, it has grown nationally to other universities and criminal justice organisations.