This summer Dr Gearon travelled to the USA where she was invited to give a presentation at the University of Berkeley, California. She then presented a paper at the International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference at the University of Toledo, Ohio. Dr Gearon used the opportunity of this trip to meet with researchers and practitioners from her field. The International Relations Office at the University of Bath supported Dr Gearon's visit to the USA.

'Voices of Trafficked Youth: critique of child trafficking policy and practice'

Dr Alinka Gearon was invited to speak about child trafficking at the University of California, Berkeley on 12 September 2019. The event was hosted by the School of Social Welfare as part of their autumn research series. The event was attended by academics, doctoral researchers across the disciplines of social work, law, social policy and public administration as well as agencies working in the anti-trafficking field.

The International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference

During her visit to the USA, Dr Gearon was invited to present a paper at the International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference at the University of Toledo, Ohio. The conference opened up further opportunities to collaborate with US partners and lower income countries such as Nepal and Nigeria where different approaches to preventing and protecting children from trafficking are currently being explored.

Networking

The trip to the USA provided numerous opportunities for Dr Gearon to meet with legislators, judges working with children in the criminal justice system, the county Sheriff, practitioners in child protection, non-profit agencies in anti-trafficking services and academics. This included a meeting with distinguished Professor Celia Williamson, Founder and Director of the Human Trafficking & Social Justice Institute at the University of Toledo and founder and president of a national research consortium on commercial sexual exploitation.

Following her trip and given the strength of Dr Gearon's relevant research and publications, she has been invited to become a member of the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars (GAHTS).