Dr. D. Elaine Pressman
Elaine Pressman is the initiator and original developer of the VERA-2R (and prior versions). She is a visiting professor, founder, and scientific director, of the Institute for the Prevention of Conflict and Violent Extremism at Saint Paul University which is in federation with the University of Ottowa.
She is a distinguished senior fellow and scientific expert at the NIFP, ministry of Justice and Security, the Netherlands. She has been a fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism the Hague, a senior research fellow at the Norman Paterson school of International Affairs, Carleton university, Ottawa, Canada and an affiliate professor at the Department of Information Policy & Governance of the university of Malta.
She has advised senior government officials in countries on over four continents about risk assessment and security, and has been an expert for the Council of Europe, the EU, the OSCE, the UNODC and other international agencies.
She is a recognized expert in the development, training and implementation of risk analysis and assessment approaches to counter-terrorism and is the author and supervisor-trainer of the VERA-2R.
She has been appointed to ministerial advisory boards, served on national expert task forces, has been designated an official delegate to international ministerial level meetings and has been a representative at international political fora.
She has been honoured with a Knighthood in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, which is the highest civilian award in the Netherlands.
Most trainings outside Europe will be provided by Elaine Pressman or her delegate.
Nils Duits MD, Ph.D.
Nils Duits is a Dutch forensic child- and adolescent psychiatrist, expert witness in court and tutor and supervisor in forensic mental health reporting.
He has been appointed on advisory functions for Dutch Government, the EU, and in international research projects and advisory groups related to risk assessment, terrorism, lone actors, school shooters, exit and prevention programs.
He organised the post-hoc analysis of homicide-suicide, and the central expertise on terrorism at the NIFP of the Dutch ministry of Justice and Security.
He has been research coordinator of the EU funded projects such as the European Database of convicted Terrorists and on VERA-2R use and validation. He is the co-author of the VERA-2R.