University of Glasgow • Global Criminology
Dr. Emiline C.H. Smith
Leading international research on transnational crime, illicit economies, global antiquities trafficking, and the looting of cultural and natural resources.
PhD
Glasgow (2019)
MA
UCL (Distinction)
Research Focus
Operating at the intersection of criminology, archaeology, and environmental justice to trace global illicit trade.
Cultural Property Trafficking
Looting networks, illicit provenance, and heritage repatriation frameworks.
Green & Blue Criminology
Ocean justice, wildlife trafficking, and informal plastic waste markets.
Academic Activism
Research sensitive topics ethically and reflexively, focusing on multi species justice.
Institutional Affiliations & Expert Roles
Dr. Smith bridges global academic networks and structural advising tasks across Europe and Asia.
Affiliate Researcher
Chulalongkorn University (2026–Present)
Visiting Professor
University of Turin / UNESCO Chair (2023–Present)
Ethics Advisor
Ocean Culture (2025–Present)
Expert Member
UK Blue Shield (2023–Present)
Research Fellow
University of Hong Kong (2020–Present)
Network Expert
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC)
Expert Member
Trafficking Culture Research Consortium
Member
Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research
Scholarly Books & Selected Publications
Researching a Rigged Game: Open-Source Data and the Trade in Cultural Heritage
Published by Springer (Heidelberg) • Co-edited with S. Austin.
Pema and the Stolen Statue from Dolpa
Published by SAMA Printers (Kathmandu) for grassroots cultural preservation.
- ”Towards Integrated Heritage Custodianship… Indonesia” — Global Perspectives (2026)
- “Investigating the illegal online trade of Indonesian parrots” — European Journal of Wildlife Research (2026)
- “Scholarly Facilitation of the Illicit Trade in Cultural Objects” — Advances in Archaeological Practice (2025)
- “Repression Over Responsibility: Government Sanctioning of Activism” — Environmental Research Letters (2025)
Public Criminology
Dr. Smith translates complex ethnographic data into urgent global journalism, frequently investigating Western institutional failures.
Quoted in 100+ international news outlets including The New York Times, Guardian and BBC
Exposing colonial provenance vulnerabilities at the British Museum, the Louvre, and TEFAF Maastricht.
Featured expert on BBC Radio 4 (‘China’s Stolen Treasures’), BBC World Service, and ABC Australia’s ‘Stuff the British Stole’.
