From March 11–15, 2025, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences of the United States convened its 62nd annual conference in Denver, Colorado, U.S. The adjunct distinguished Professor Liu Jianhong from the Faculty of Law of the University of Macau delivered a plenary address titled “The Internationalization of Crime and Criminal Justice — An International Approach to Resolving the Disconnect Between Academic Empirical Research and Criminal Justice Policy Practice.”
Focusing on a cutting-edge issue in criminal justice scholarship, Professor Liu proposed an innovative solution that drew widespread praise from the academic community. The ACJS described his speech as “absolutely phenomenal” in its official coverage. Established in 1963, the ACJS is the world’s largest professional body in criminal justice, with over 10,000 members across scholars, judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police, prison correctional staff, and other justice sector professionals.
This year’s conference featured five internationally distinguished scholars in its plenary sessions. The first speaker, John Laub, was the former director of the U.S. National Institute of Justice and a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland. Professor Liu stood as the sole non-Western participant in the plenary lineup. His address offered a cross-cultural perspective that advanced new approach for criminal justice research and practice worldwide.