Mercyhurst University students practice HUMINT skills

On 30 March, Mercyhurst University students from Prof. Fred Hoffman’s undergraduate Human Intelligence class and Prof. Deb Davies’ graduate Collections class met to participate in a mock “diplomatic function” exercise at “US Embassy Erie”. In order to practice obtaining information from student role players, Human Intelligence students were given the opportunity to practice active listening techniques, read body language, and try out different elicitation techniques they had been taught. As Prof. Hoffman explained, “The Human Intelligence course teaches students how to effectively obtain information from human sources; such skills are highly useful for many professions, ranging from spies and diplomats to police officers, journalists, and competitive intelligence practitioners.” Mercyhurst University's Intelligence Studies program, the oldest in the United States, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Mercyhurst's undergraduate and graduate intelligence programs teach students about intelligence collection and analysis, preparing them for interesting intelligence careers in national security, law enforcement, and the private sector.