Topic: "Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts and the Potential of Engineering and Analytical Techniques"

Human trafficking is a complex issue affecting society and economy. Forced labour and sexual exploitation represent a multi-billion dollar global industry, victimizing tens of millions of adults and children of all gender identities worldwide. It transcends national borders, is prevalent in both impoverished and wealthy countries, and undermines fundamental human rights and a broader sense of global order.

Do engineers have a role to play in countering human trafficking activity? I believe they do. To date human trafficking research has primarily focused on qualitative studies, statistical estimations of prevalence, and insights generated from economic models. However, a variety of engineering and analytical techniques have the potential to help address the unique challenges facing anti-human trafficking efforts including: the covertness of traffickers, the hidden nature of victim-survivors, fragmented data, and limited resources. This presentation will discuss ongoing transdisciplinary collaborations in this sphere and draw from several examples of ongoing projects. This presentation is designed to be accessible for all audiences.