In 1994 the School of Criminology, a part of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology in the Faculty of Law of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its study programme. To give added lustre to this landmark in its history, the Institute accepted the invitation from the International Society of Criminology to organise the 49th International Course of Criminology. The title of the course was: `Changes in Society, Crime and Criminal Justice in Europe. A challenge for criminological education and research'.
This course explored two themes, both of which are likely to be the focus of debate in criminal policy in the near future: crime and insecurity in the city, and international organised and corporate crime.
The presentation and discussion of both themes followed two main approaches. Lectures and seminars focused on the analysis of the nature, the quantity and the development of the phenomena, and meetings were focused on the policy needed to gain control of these phenomena. Moreover, attention was paid to technical and ethical problems which show up at the moment that empirical research is carried out.
This publication brings together the main part of the introductory lectures. Part one relates to the theme of crime and insecurity in the city; the second part contains the lectures on international organised and corporate crime. Together both parts present a good picture of what was explained and commented on during the Course, especially in relation to important European developments concerning crime, criminal justice and criminal policy. This book will become an important source of inspiration for both criminological education and research.

Translated by: M. Zehery