[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":524},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-second-cohort-starts-anti-corruption-programme":3,"author-links-news-second-cohort-starts-anti-corruption-programme":221,"news-second-cohort-starts-anti-corruption-programme-body-assets":222,"news-second-cohort-starts-anti-corruption-programme-similar":228,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":519},[4],{"id":5,"status":6,"date_created":7,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"date":12,"topic":13,"slug":14,"activity":13,"nid":13,"topics":15,"activities":13,"programme":13,"area":13,"websites":18,"language":20,"image":21,"translation_of":13,"countries":33,"tags":34,"authors":73,"images":74,"translations":218,"content":219,"translations_news":220},10669,"published","2026-10-20T08:50:54.000Z","2026-10-20T12:30:10.000Z","Second cohort from five continents starts Basel STUDY anti-corruption programme","News","Thirteen professionals from five continents have started the second edition of the Basel Institute's postgraduate programme on anti-corruption, the [Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) Mastering Today's Anti-Corruption Challenges](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-anti-corruption\u002F). They met for the first time at an opening event in Basel and online on 2 and 3 October 2026.\n\nThe cohort includes people from Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Morocco, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sudan and Zambia, as well as from several European countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, and the United States. Their professional backgrounds range from law to economics and politics, with four currently working in the public sector and others joining from private firms, non-profits and academia. Six are women, seven are men.\n\nOver the next six months they will study together online, test ideas against each other's experience and apply what they learn to a corruption problem from their own work.\n\n## Why anti-corruption education matters more than ever\n\nThe programme, run with the [University of Basel](https:\u002F\u002Fadvancedstudies.unibas.ch\u002Fstudienangebot\u002Fkurs\u002Fcas-mastering-todays-anticorruption-challenges-300794), is one of two [Basel STUDY](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study) micro-degrees we launched in 2025. Its second edition starts at a time when the world needs more people who can make anti-corruption work in practice: people who can adapt it to local conditions and focus on what actually changes behaviour. \n\nDr Peter Maurer, President of the Basel Institute on Governance, described the stakes in his welcome address:\n\n> People around the world are taking to the streets to demand their rights under the banner of anti-corruption. This course is designed to strengthen your operational tools and foster meaningful engagement with civil society, judicial authorities, financial intelligence units and international organisations.\n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002Fb0748473-52b0-42f2-8734-93b4b0817d8b)\n\nParticipants who complete the programme receive a CAS from the University of Basel worth 10 ECTS credits. Each also completes a study project on a real corruption challenge from their own professional context, which they present to the class at the end of the course.\n\n## Learning what works, and where\n\nThe course draws on political science, behavioural science, law and economics, and on the Basel Institute’s own projects and cases over more than 23 years. In the opening session, Professor Dr Stefanie Bailer of the University of Basel, who chairs the Study Programme Committee and is Vice-President of our Board, highlighted the value of linking academic research with the Institute’s practical work.\n\nA recurring question in the course is why a measure that works in one country fails in another, and what it takes to change behaviour once the rules are on paper. Dr Claudia Baez Camargo, Director of our Prevention, Research and Innovation (PRI) team and lead instructor for the course, explained the thinking behind it:\n\n> We do research not for the sake of research, but to generate rigorous, evidence-based knowledge that can be translated directly into practice. Ultimately, our mission is to make a real impact in the world.\n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002F3ae2f6ac-2a18-4ea3-9699-165ba6dfd183)\n\nShe teaches alongside Dr Saba Kassa, Deputy Director of the PRI team, who led the cohort's first two live sessions on the Saturday, and Dr Jacopo Costa, Senior Specialist, PRI. \n\n## Countering corruption in a changing world\n\nThe opening session gave participants a taste of the perspectives ahead. \n\nDr Ramadhani Marijani of the University of Dodoma in Tanzania presented Afrimeter 2063, a proposed way of measuring corruption's impact on communities that builds on local concepts such as Ujamaa in Tanzania and Harambee in Kenya. \n\nHuma Yusuf, Head of Financial Services Responsible Investing and Director of Business Integrity at British International Investment, showed how bribes for fraudulent licences can sit behind disasters such as the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. \n\nA panel with Daniel Demeter of the Alliance for Integrity in Brazil and Irenka Krone-Germann, CEO of cinfo, a network of development organisations, turned to the skills that matter on the job, from institutional diplomacy to empathy.\n\n## A growing alumni community\n\nTwo speakers were graduates themselves. Dr Marijani completed the first edition of the CAS in 2025\u002F26 and returned as a keynote speaker. \n\nJulio Petrucci, a public prosecutor in the Province of Buenos Aires who completed the sister programme, [CAS Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery), in August 2026, told the new cohort what the course had meant for him:\n\n> When I applied for the CAS, I already had many years of experience in criminal investigations, but crime was changing and I felt that I needed new tools and an international perspective. The CAS really marked a before and an after in my professional career. What I valued most was the practical approach: we worked with real problems, real cases and practical tools that I could connect directly with my daily work as a prosecutor.\n\nAlumni of both first-edition programmes were invited to join online, and one, based in Switzerland, attended in Basel.\n\n## Financial support opens the door\n\nSeveral of the 13 participants are studying with financial support from the [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship), named after the Institute's late Managing Director. We thank our main donors [Kellerhals Carrard](https:\u002F\u002Fkellerhals-carrard.ch\u002F), the [Chandler Foundation](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.chandlerfoundation.org\u002F), the [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F) and, jointly, [ECO Strategic Communications](https:\u002F\u002Fecostrats.com\u002F), [Bonifassi Avocats](https:\u002F\u002Fbonifassi-avocats.com\u002Fen\u002F) and [Bennett Jones](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bennettjones.com\u002F). \n\nRueben Lifuka, Zambia Country Director of the Chandler Foundation, joined the event online from Lusaka. He spoke about the Foundation’s focus on building cultures of integrity and explained:\n\n> We see a strong synergy between the work of the Chandler Foundation and that of the Basel Institute on Governance. Both recognise that addressing corruption requires not only effective laws and institutions, but also knowledge, professional capability, leadership, collaboration and the willingness to continually adapt our approaches to a changing environment. The Chandler Foundation is proud to be associated with this initiative.\n\nJulio Petrucci, who took part in the asset recovery programme with financial support from the Scholarship Fund, put the value in a nutshell:\n\n> When you support a prosecutor, an investigator or another professional, the impact of that support does not end with that person. What we learn goes back with us to our institutions, our cases and our countries.\n\nWe are deeply grateful to all donors to the scholarship fund for their generous support.\n\n## What’s next and how to get involved\n\nWe hope to see many of the cohort come to Basel in person for the closing event in April 2027. \n\nDates for the next intake of both Basel STUDY programmes will be announced soon; to hear first, [sign up to our newsletter](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnewsletter) and tick \"Events and courses\". \n\nTo support future participants, visit the [Scholarship Fund donations page](https:\u002F\u002Fwhydonate.com\u002Ffundraising\u002Fgretta-fenner-scholarship-fund) or email study@baselgovernance.org.\n","2026-10-20",null,"second-cohort-starts-anti-corruption-programme",[16,17],"Learning and training","Prevention Research and Innovation",[19],"Main 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Kassa, Joerg Schmidt and new students 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Poelling and Claudia Baez Camargo CAS1.02 opening event","2026-10-20T08:55:51.000Z",978854,{},{"id":52,"news_id":199,"directus_files_id":209},{"id":5,"status":6,"user_created":38,"date_created":7,"user_updated":38,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"image":22,"date":12,"topic":13,"slug":14,"activity":13,"nid":13,"topics":200,"activities":13,"programme":13,"area":13,"websites":201,"translation_of":13,"language":20,"countries":202,"tags":203,"authors":204,"images":205,"translations":206,"content":207,"translations_news":208},[16,17],[19],[],[36,43],[],[46,47,48,49,50,51,52],[],[],[],{"id":210,"storage":23,"filename_disk":211,"filename_download":212,"title":213,"type":27,"folder":91,"uploaded_by":38,"created_on":92,"modified_by":38,"modified_on":195,"charset":13,"filesize":214,"width":215,"height":216,"duration":13,"embed":13,"description":13,"location":13,"tags":13,"metadata":217,"focal_point_x":13,"focal_point_y":13,"tus_id":13,"tus_data":13,"uploaded_on":98},"d4827c7d-6861-4bd9-b7b1-0d10a725ce10","d4827c7d-6861-4bd9-b7b1-0d10a725ce10.jpg","IMG_8381.jpg","New students CAS1.02 opening event",909990,1041,1558,{},[],[],[],{},[223,226],{"id":224,"description":13,"width":137,"height":225},"3ae2f6ac-2a18-4ea3-9699-165ba6dfd183",1496,{"id":227,"description":13,"width":176,"height":177},"b0748473-52b0-42f2-8734-93b4b0817d8b",[229,267,292,326,366,394,427,456,483],{"id":230,"body":231,"status":6,"type":10,"date":232,"slug":233,"title":234,"image":235,"countries":236,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":238,"nid":13,"topics":251,"activities":13,"authors":253,"images":254,"websites":259,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":260,"translation_of":13,"user_created":261,"date_created":262,"user_updated":261,"date_updated":263,"content":264,"translations_news":265,"link":266},10664,"Congratulations to the five Moldovan practitioners who are now certified to conduct training in financial investigations and asset recovery using the case-based training methodology of the Basel Institute's International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR).\n\nThey received their trainer certificates at the end of a 10-month Train-the-Trainer programme run by ICAR with Moldova's [National Institute of Justice (NIJ)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inj.md\u002Fro\u002Fcinci-formatori-ai-inj-au-au-ob%C8%9Binut-certificarea-icar-de-instruire-%C3%AEn-domeniul-recuper%C4%83rii). The final workshop took place in Chisinau on 14–18 September 2026. Over five workshops since December 2025, the programme also trained 106 judges, prosecutors, investigators and other practitioners.\n\nThe programme responded to a request from Moldova's President, Maia Sandu, for support in building skills across the country's asset recovery chain, from financial investigation to international cooperation and confiscation. It forms part of the [CRESTA asset recovery assistance project](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.eda.admin.ch\u002Fdeza\u002Fen\u002Fhome\u002Fprojekte\u002Fprojekte.html\u002Fcontent\u002Fdezaprojects\u002FSDC\u002Fen\u002F2025\u002F7F11313\u002Fphase1), which ICAR implements with financial support from the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova. In addition to training, this includes hands-on support with live cases and legislative reform.\n\nWe congratulate the new trainers and all participants, and thank the NIJ and other government partners for the fruitful collaboration.\n\n## The new trainers\n\nThe five certified trainers work at the heart of Moldova's efforts to recover criminal assets. One is a Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office. Two lead or work in criminal investigation teams at the State Fiscal Service's anti-fraud directorate. The other two are at the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency.\n\nOne of them, Pavel Calpajiu, heads the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency's department for valuing and managing seized assets. During the programme he gave a session on parallel financial investigations, which means following the money from the very start of a case. This approach was emphasised throughout the whole training.\n\nThe five – three women, two men – are now ready to train their colleagues on their own.\n\n## Why train trainers?\n\nTraining local trainers means the skills remain in Moldova long after the programme ends. With the NIJ's support, the new trainers can keep transferring what they have learned to new groups of practitioners.\n\nPeople also learn better from their peers. The new trainers know Moldova's laws and institutions, and they work on the same kinds of cases as the people they teach. Their examples come from real experience.\n\nTeaching benefits the trainers too. Practitioners who train others often try out new approaches in their own cases and bring those lessons back into the classroom. Over time, this helps investigators and prosecutors across the country find more effective ways to trace and recover criminal assets.\n\n## Learning by doing\n\nICAR's methodology is built around a realistic case that participants investigate in small groups, from the first suspicion to the recovery of assets. One participant said:\n\n> The investigation we conducted was extremely interesting and instructive, providing me with a clear understanding of how a real process unfolds.\n\nAnother remarked:\n> I gained new knowledge and skills that I will apply in my prosecution and judicial trainer daily work and future practice.\n\nAnother participant found that the group work was central to the course, as it:\n> enhances teamwork and the exchange of experiences among group members from different fields, which ultimately facilitates \\[learning\\].\n\nParticipants came from more than 10 institutions, including the courts, prosecution offices, the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency, the National Anti-Corruption Centre, the National Integrity Authority, the State Fiscal Service, the Customs Service, the police and the Office for the Prevention and Control of Money Laundering.\n\n## ICAR-led learning\n\nOur [ICAR training team](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Ftraining\u002F) has expanded its training offer to meet the varied needs of practitioners everywhere.\n\nIf you’re not a government agency, check out the free eLearning courses on [Basel LEARN](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002F), or secure your spot on ICAR’s [four-day online course on asset recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses\u002Fasset-recovery) that is open to individuals including journalists and civil society.\n\nFor a deeper dive into the theory and practice of investigations and asset recovery, there’s still time to enrol on our academic programme with the University of Basel, [Combating financial crime through asset recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery).","2026-10-09","ttt-moldova","Moldova gains five certified trainers in financial investigations and asset recovery","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F784b4e00-62c2-4cc1-ab37-91b1748ad956?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[237],7848,[239,243,247],{"tags_id":240},{"id":241,"name":242},843,"Asset recovery",{"tags_id":244},{"id":245,"name":246},1372,"Training",{"tags_id":248},{"id":249,"name":250},1365,"Technical assistance",[16,252],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[],[255,256,257,258],321,322,323,324,[19],[],"545a204d-e41b-4882-afda-481ecf3fd971","2026-10-09T06:52:30.000Z","2026-10-09T06:59:09.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fttt-moldova",{"id":268,"body":269,"status":6,"type":270,"date":271,"slug":272,"title":273,"image":274,"countries":275,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":276,"nid":13,"topics":277,"activities":13,"authors":279,"images":284,"websites":285,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":286,"translation_of":13,"user_created":261,"date_created":287,"user_updated":261,"date_updated":288,"content":289,"translations_news":290,"link":291},10652,"For three years, the Basel Institute's Prevention, Research and Innovation team worked with 24 other research partners from across Europe on the ambitious Horizon Europe [FALCON](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.falcon-horizon.eu\u002F) (Fight Against Large-scale Corruption and Organised Crime Networks) project.\n\nOur consortium brought together expertise in social science and research, technology development and law enforcement. We worked closely together to innovate the fight against corruption and organised crime by designing data-driven risk indicators and AI-enhanced solutions.\n\nThis massive research project generated many useful “deliverables” – corruption intelligence, risk indicators, practical tools, policy guidance – that anti-corruption and counter-crime practitioners can directly apply in their work.\n\nPerhaps more importantly, the research and interactions have helped us all understand corruption better – and provided the evidence we need to innovate anti-corruption methods.\n\nThis is bringing real benefits to our technical assistance to governments and organisations seeking to find smarter ways to prevent and combat corrupt and criminal networks, in Europe and beyond. It’s an example of why international, multidisciplinary anti-corruption research projects are worth the investment even in times of tightened belts and budget cuts.\n\nAs the project winds down, here are four lessons we’d like to share with others. We also offer our warm thanks to the consortium leaders and partners, and to the EU institutions and individuals who continue to promote deep research into corruption and crime.\n\n## Lesson 1: Understanding how corruption evolves helps anti-corruption practitioners keep up\n\nFALCON provided clear examples of how – and how quickly – corruption and crime adapt and evolve.\n\nTraditional understandings of corruption focus on a fairly static list of behaviours like bribery or embezzlement. In fact, FALCON research demonstrated how corruption occurs in complex systems, playing out through resilient networks of actors, institutions and incentives that evolve within equally complex political, economic and social contexts.\n\nEach new enforcement measure, detection tool or regulation changes the behaviour of those trying to circumvent it. When challenged, criminal actors adapt, prompting authorities to respond with further reforms.\n\nIt's a never-ending dance of push and shove that we observed in a range of different settings. For example, in our research for the FALCON project, we have seen that criminal actors:\n\n-   **adapt their corruption and criminal strategies** in response to strengthened enforcement (see our articles on [the evolution of corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fconceptualizing-evolution-corruption-empirical-analysis-italy) and on [corruption and crime at the Kapitan Andreevo border](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fevolution-corruption-and-crimes-kapitan-andreevo-border-checkpoint-impact-eu-accession));\n-   **relocate their illicit activities elsewhere** (see our [Working Paper 58](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-58) on corruption as a facilitator of drug trafficking in the port of Rotterdam); and\n-   **apply counter strategies**, such as undermining reform efforts and dismantling or weakening anti-corruption institutions and policies; or even\n-   **weaponise the anti-corruption apparatus** against rivals (look out for our forthcoming report on backlashes to anti-corruption reforms).\n\nHow to keep up?\n\nOur approach, which we refined during the FALCON project, is to always base anti-corruption and counter-crime interventions on a strong understanding of underlying criminal dynamics.\n\nMap the stakeholders and their relationships, interests and incentives. Identify risks and problems that could arise.\n\nFrom there, legal reforms, grassroots initiatives, technology and everything else can function best as a flexible anti-corruption toolbox. We assemble and revisit tools as the context shifts and our knowledge advances.\n\n## Lesson 2. Use AI, but understand its limitations\n\nA key point often forgotten amongst the technology optimism is to treat tech tools, including the ones built as part of the FALCON project, as _inputs_ to expert human judgement, not as substitutes for it.\n\nA risk indicator or dashboard score can flag suspicious activities that require a closer look, but it can't tell you why an anomalous pattern exists or what to do about it. We must check an AI model's output against contextual knowledge and other evidence, and keep in mind what it was and wasn’t calibrated to detect.\n\nThe same caution applies to AI. AI tools can be useful for analysing huge quantities of data and detecting patterns that point to corruption. But an AI could just as easily facilitate corruption as help you to tackle it, so make sure human judgement stays in the driving seat.\n\n## Lesson 3. Reach beyond the bubble to identify synergies or unintended consequences\n\nIt can be tempting for anti-corruption researchers to work only within the anti-corruption community, and may seem more efficient.\n\nBut the truly multidisciplinary FALCON research consortium showed how closely crimes and corruption are interlinked. Look at them separately and you miss the true picture. Intervene to prevent one problem, and you might have unintended impacts on another.\n\nAn example from our research at the border between Türkiye and Bulgaria:\n\n-   Beefing up border control capacity against trafficking can result in criminals relying _even more_ on corruption to avoid detection.\n-   Conversely, stronger enforcement against corruption can lead to traffickers using more sophisticated criminal strategies to get illicit goods safely across the border.\n\nBefore designing any intervention, we should assess how increased pressure in one policy area may affect others, including through the displacing of risks.\n\nAnti-corruption programmes are more effective when we ask these questions from the outset and coordinate more meaningfully with those working on related issues like organised crime and security.\n\n## Lesson 4. Use strategic foresight – systematically anticipate new risks and changed contexts\n\nOur work on [foresight and anticipatory governance](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-63-anticipatory-governance\u002F) has enhanced how we approach political economy assessments, including in projects unrelated to FALCON.\n\nWe have long found it important to consider what could shift the terrain – a new law, technology, conflict or other – and what this would mean for a planned anti-corruption intervention. Now we have found tools and systems to do this systematically and periodically.\n\nThe approach helps our partners to revisit anti-corruption frameworks, track emerging risks and anticipate unintended consequences. That’s key to mitigating them and adapting in good time.\n\nIt also tangibly improves monitoring and evaluation frameworks, as we are not only reporting on what happened in the past, but adapting to what is up ahead.\n\n## What’s next?\n\nThe FALCON research project provided not only the practical guidance and reports it promised, but also a far more detailed understanding of how corruption and crime interlink and smarter tools to act on them both.\n\nAs the project closes, we are grateful for the partnership, energised by what we've learned and ready to expand and apply them in our technical assistance to governments and development partners worldwide.\n\n_The FALCON project was funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Program Grant Agreement ID 101121281. The Basel Institute’s involvement in the project was funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Research Executive Agency or SERI._","Blog","2026-08-31","falcon-end-project","Why it’s worth investing in international anti-corruption research – three cheers for the FALCON project","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F9c82ba33-9bd7-4b4e-9db4-c38fb3324739?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[],[278,17],"Corruption Prevention and Public Governance",[280,281,282,283],1392,1393,1394,1395,[],[19],[],"2026-09-01T11:20:37.000Z","2026-09-01T11:42:15.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Ffalcon-end-project",{"id":293,"body":294,"status":6,"type":270,"date":295,"slug":296,"title":297,"image":298,"countries":299,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":300,"nid":13,"topics":315,"activities":13,"authors":316,"images":317,"websites":318,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":319,"translation_of":13,"user_created":38,"date_created":320,"user_updated":321,"date_updated":322,"content":323,"translations_news":324,"link":325},10649,"*\"I wanted to have more impact in helping my country prevent and combat money laundering.\" In her role as an Anti-Money Laundering Analyst at a commercial bank, Hortensia Uupindi felt that something was missing. After reporting suspicious transactions, she could not see what happened next. This curiosity evolved into a career objective: to transition into a role where she could take a more active part in combating financial crime and safeguarding the integrity of the financial system.*\n\n*With this in mind, she decided to enrol in the postgraduate programme \"[CAS Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery)\", delivered by the Basel Institute on Governance together with the [University of Basel](https:\u002F\u002Fadvancedstudies.unibas.ch\u002Fstudienangebot\u002Fkurs\u002Fcas-combating-financial-crime-through-asset-recovery-300795).*\n\n*In this interview, she shares her experience on taking the course, the ways it contributed to her professional growth and how it helped her transition into her current role at the Financial Intelligence Unit of Namibia.*\n\n**You were working in the compliance department at a commercial bank. What motivated you to take this programme?**\n\nWorking as an Anti-Money Laundering Analyst really opened my eyes to money laundering and its links to real-world financial crimes. Like many countries, Namibia also faces ongoing challenges with predicate offences such as corruption, fraud and tax evasion.\n\nAt the bank, whenever we identified suspicious behaviour, we reported it to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). But we did not get to see what happened after that. At that time, I was familiar with the term “asset recovery”, but I did not understand how the entire value chain worked, with all its processes and challenges.\n\nJoining the FIU had always been one of my career aspirations. I was eager to learn more about asset recovery and strengthen my ability to contribute to my country's efforts to prevent and combat money laundering. The programme immediately caught my interest, and I knew it was an opportunity I could not miss. A few months ago, I successfully transitioned into my new role as a Compliance Analyst at the Namibian FIU.\n\n**What change in perspective did this programme bring to your professional career?**\n\nThe course helped me understand the whole asset recovery process and the role I am playing in combating financial crime. It also showed me how to come up with solutions to resolve some of the challenges that slow the process down. \n\nThat understanding made me appreciate the work I do on a daily basis even more. The aim is to prevent money laundering, but when an offence has already occurred, we want to recover those assets because they are proceeds of crime and make sure they are reinvested for public good. \n\nThe [Fishrot case in Namibia](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-africa-64526018) is a clear example of why asset recovery is so important. The funds that were misappropriated could have been used to support education, infrastructure and social development initiatives that would benefit the wider population. Instead, they enriched only a select few individuals. Recovering these assets would make a significant contribution to Namibia’s economy and development. \n\nThe diversity of the cohort was another important highlight of the programme. I came from a banking background, but we had people from FIUs, anti-corruption agencies, asset management units and other areas. We could see how our different roles connect along the asset recovery chain.  \n\nAll in all, the programme changed my perspective because it gave me a balance between where I was and where I wanted to be.  \n\n**What was a highlight of the programme for you?**  \n\nThere were many, both in terms of the content and the career opportunities. \n\nI particularly valued learning about international anti-money laundering frameworks and laws governing offences such as corruption and bribery. It enhanced my understanding of how illicit assets are acquired, as well as techniques for identifying and tracing them, before they are frozen, confiscated, recovered and re-used. \n\nCareer-wise, the programme expanded my horizons. Before, I didn’t know there were so many career opportunities in the anti-financial crime sector. The lecturers and speakers showed us the diversity in this space. \n\n**You were able to join the programme thanks to the [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship). What did this support mean to you?**\n\nI was fascinated by the programme until I saw the tuition fees. I couldn’t afford to pay for it in full. Then I saw that a scholarship fund was available, so I applied for both the programme and financial support. \n\nBeing one of the recipients of partial financial support was a blessing. The course came at the perfect time in my career, equipping me with valuable knowledge and practical skills that have strengthened my professional capabilities.\n\nI would really encourage individual donors and organisations to [continue supporting the scholarship fund](https:\u002F\u002Fwhydonate.com\u002Ffundraising\u002Fgretta-fenner-scholarship-fund). Capacity building is important, because it's only when skilled people are at the forefront of countering financial crime that a real difference can be made to society.\n\n**What would you say to other professionals, including those in the private sector, who are unsure whether the programme is worth it?** \n\nThe programme is worthwhile. It has a structure that you don’t often find: a mix of practical experience and deep knowledge, combining lectures with real-world experience. \n\nIt is beneficial for colleagues who already work in this field, but we also had classmates from other fields who are aspiring to enter the sector. It is friendly both for beginners and experienced professionals. \n\nThe Basel Institute demonstrated a high level of professionalism throughout the programme. The lecturers were highly knowledgeable and generous in sharing their expertise. They consistently took the time to address our questions and brought in professionals from various sectors to provide additional insights.\n\nThis programme truly has equipped us to play our part in the fight against financial crime. For anyone contemplating, it is truly a worthwhile opportunity.  \n\n**Thank you, Hortensia, for sharing your story and highlighting the impact this postgraduate programme has had on your professional journey.**\n\n## Learn more\n\n::: links\n- [Discover “Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery”](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery) -> Postgraduate programme delivered online in partnership with the University of Basel.\n- [Contribute to the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) -> Help train the next generation of anti-corruption professionals.\n- [Discover our offer of short online training courses](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses) -> Practitioner-led training focused on real-world financial crime challenges. \n:::\n","2026-08-11","alumni-stories-hortensia-uupindi","From private sector compliance to a Financial Intelligence Unit: how specialised education supported this shift","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F0091c995-8268-4d1a-8aef-f4567d38c717?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[301,305,307,309,312],{"tags_id":302},{"id":303,"name":304},818,"Anti-money laundering",{"tags_id":306},{"id":241,"name":242},{"tags_id":308},{"id":71,"name":72},{"tags_id":310},{"id":281,"name":311},"Alumni stories",{"tags_id":313},{"id":282,"name":314},"Scholarship",[252,16],[],[],[19],[],"2026-08-12T08:53:12.000Z","dfef11db-1bc6-47e9-a61d-93443995484b","2026-10-19T16:44:02.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Falumni-stories-hortensia-uupindi",{"id":327,"body":328,"status":6,"type":270,"date":329,"slug":330,"title":331,"image":332,"countries":333,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":334,"nid":13,"topics":351,"activities":13,"authors":352,"images":353,"websites":354,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":355,"translation_of":13,"user_created":38,"date_created":356,"user_updated":321,"date_updated":357,"content":358,"translations_news":359,"link":365},10648,"*“When it comes to economic crime, securing a conviction is not always enough. If we do not recover the assets, we are not returning to society what was stolen from it.” This realisation marked a turning point in the career of Julio Petrucci, a prosecutor at the Attorney General’s Office of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.*\n\n*Driven by this mindset and by his desire to keep pace with the way crime operates today, Petrucci decided to enrol in the postgraduate programme “[CAS Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery)” delivered by the Basel Institute on Governance together with the [University of Basel](https:\u002F\u002Fadvancedstudies.unibas.ch\u002Fstudienangebot\u002Fkurs\u002Fcas-combating-financial-crime-through-asset-recovery-300795).*\n\n*In this interview, he tells us about the challenges of his work, the issues demanding greater specialisation and the advice he has for other public servants who, like him, are striving to serve their citizens better.*\n\n**A prosecutor’s work requires constant adaptation. What motivates your daily work and what challenges do you face?**\n\nMy main motivation is to try to do good and to help repair what is broken in society when a crime is committed.\n\nIn my country, as well as across the region, there are many economic difficulties and high levels of social inequality. Many people who become victims of crime rely on the Public Prosecutor's Office and other public institutions for support. As a prosecutor, I want to be able to provide these victims with answers and practical tools.\n\nOver time, I began to realise that my initial training was largely focused on crime in traditional, physical settings. However, crime scenes are often digital or have a strong financial component.\n\nThat's when I identified the need to look for new tools to strengthen my investigations. It was through this search that I discovered the Basel Institute on Governance and its [educational programmes](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning).\n\n**Why did you choose the Basel Institute programme to specialise in asset recovery?**\n\nI was particularly interested in the specialised programme on asset recovery for three reasons:\n\n-\tfirst, because asset recovery is a highly relevant and rapidly growing field;\n-\tsecond, because I could not find other advanced courses offering this level of specialisation in countering financial crime;\n-\tand third, because of the international reputation of the Basel Institute on Governance and the University of Basel.\n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002F1fa76298-84af-47af-852f-e5ec0bced22b)\n\n**What change in perspective did this programme bring to your professional career?**\n\nThe course marked a before and after in my career.\n\nIn Argentina, asset recovery is still a developing field. Historically, we have analysed criminal cases with the aim of securing convictions. However, when it comes to economic crime, securing a conviction is not always enough. If we do not recover the assets, we are not returning to society what was stolen from it.\n\nThroughout the course, I learned not only about the different legal frameworks that exist around the world in this area, but also how to apply them to specific cases. The academic team and the online learning platforms were excellent. All this new knowledge and practical tools are already proving extremely useful in my day-to-day work. They have even contributed to my professional growth in ways that I am not yet able to comment on officially.\n\nThis was also my first international experience. I got to meet people from different countries and professional backgrounds, which was very enriching.\n\n**You were able to join the programme thanks to a scholarship. What did this support mean to you?**\n\nI am a public official in a country facing significant economic challenges. The salaries of public officials like me, both in Argentina and across Latin America, are not particularly high.\n\nIn this context, I saw that the Basel Institute offered financial support through the [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) and decided to apply for it. From the outset, the team was very receptive. After some interviews, I was awarded a partial scholarship thanks to the funds they had raised, which allowed me to take the course.\n\nTo donors and benefactors, I would say that their contribution is not just individual support for a student: it is a direct investment in justice systems in our countries. Thanks to their contribution, I now have the tools to investigate complex crimes and recover assets that belong to society.\n\n**Why would you recommend this training to other prosecutors or investigators in the region?**\n\nWhen you work in public service, and especially in a role such as that of a prosecutor, it is very difficult to look beyond what you see in your daily work. But crime is changing. In fact, it has already changed, and if we do not adapt, we will not be able to do our jobs effectively or help repair what is broken in society when a crime is committed.\n\nFor this reason, I encourage prosecutors and others interested in tackling financial crime to step outside their day-to-day routine and take courses like this.\n\nI highly recommend this programme to them, not only because of its academic quality but also because of the quality and dedication of the Basel Institute team. It was an incredible experience.\n\n**Thank you, Julio, for sharing your story and highlighting the impact this postgraduate programme has had on your professional journey.**\n\n*Julio Petrucci is just one of many talented professionals who have been able to take this course thanks to the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund. We are deeply grateful to all those who have generously contributed, and continue to contribute, to this fund, especially the [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F), [Bonifassi Avocats](https:\u002F\u002Fbonifassi-avocats.com\u002Fen\u002F), [Bennett Jones](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bennettjones.com\u002F), [ECO Strategic Communications](https:\u002F\u002Fecostrats.com\u002F) and [Kellerhals Carrard](https:\u002F\u002Fkellerhals-carrard.ch\u002Fen).*\n\n## Learn more\n\n::: links\n- [Discover “Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery”](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery) -> Postgraduate programme delivered online in partnership with the University of Basel.\n- [Contribute to the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) -> Help train the next generation of anti-corruption professionals.\n- [Discover our offer of short online training courses](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses) -> Practitioner-led training focused on real-world financial crime challenges. \n:::\n","2026-08-05","alumni-stories-julio-petrucci","Specialising in asset recovery: why this Argentinian prosecutor decided to take the leap ","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F4cb78426-7f7f-44a1-9709-552b2f2f259e?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[335,339,341,345,347,349],{"tags_id":336},{"id":337,"name":338},1193,"Financial investigations",{"tags_id":340},{"id":71,"name":72},{"tags_id":342},{"id":343,"name":344},1374,"Law enforcement",{"tags_id":346},{"id":241,"name":242},{"tags_id":348},{"id":281,"name":311},{"tags_id":350},{"id":282,"name":314},[252,16],[],[],[19],[],"2026-08-05T06:34:24.000Z","2026-10-19T16:44:01.000Z",[],[360],{"title":361,"body":362,"slug":363,"language":364},"Especializarse en recuperación de activos: por qué este fiscal argentino decidió dar el salto","*“Cuando hablamos de delitos económicos, condenar a una persona no siempre es suficiente. Si no recuperamos los activos, no estamos devolviendo a la sociedad aquello que le fue robado.” Esta convicción marcó un punto de inflexión en la carrera de Julio Petrucci, fiscal de la Procuración General de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.*\n\n*Motivado por ella y por estar a la par de cómo opera el crimen en la actualidad, decidió tomar el programa de postgrado \"[CAS Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery)\", dictado por el Basel Institute on Governance junto a la [Universidad de Basilea](https:\u002F\u002Fadvancedstudies.unibas.ch\u002Fstudienangebot\u002Fkurs\u002Fcas-combating-financial-crime-through-asset-recovery-300795).*\n\n*En esta entrevista, conversamos sobre los desafíos de su trabajo, los problemas que están requiriendo una mayor especialización y la recomendación que les da a otros trabajadores públicos que, como él, buscan servir mejor a los ciudadanos.*\n\n**El trabajo de fiscal exige una constante adaptación. ¿Cuál es la motivación detrás de tu labor diaria y a qué desafíos te enfrentas?**\n\nMi principal motivación es tratar de hacer el bien y de recomponer eso que se rompe en la sociedad cuando se comete un delito. \n\nEn mi país, así como en la región, existen muchas dificultades económicas y una gran desigualdad social. Esto significa que hay muchas personas que, cuando sufre un delito, deben recurrir al Ministerio Público Fiscal y a los organismos públicos. Como fiscal, quiero poder darles respuestas y herramientas concretas.  \n\nCon el tiempo empecé a notar que mi formación inicial estaba muy enfocada en el crimen en escenarios físicos tradicionales. Sin embargo, muchas veces el escenario del crimen es digital o tiene un fuerte componente financiero. \n\nDesde entonces, identifiqué la necesidad de buscar nuevas herramientas para abordar mis investigaciones. Fue en esa búsqueda que conocí al Basel Institute on Governance y [toda su oferta educativa](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning). \n\n**¿Por qué elegiste el programa del Basel Institute para especializarte en recuperación de activos?**\n\nParticularmente me interesó el programa especializado en la recuperación de activos por tres razones: \n\n-\tprimero, porque la recuperación de activos es una temática muy pujante y de creciente importancia; \n-\tsegundo, porque no encontré otras ofertas educativas similares con este nivel de especialización en crimen financiero; \n-\ty tercero, por el prestigio internacional del Basel Institute on Governance y la Universidad de Basilea.\n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002F1fa76298-84af-47af-852f-e5ec0bced22b)\n\n**¿Qué cambio de paradigma aportó esta formación a tu carrera profesional?**\n\nEl curso significó un antes y un después en mi carrera.\n\nEn Argentina, la materia de recuperación de activos está en pleno desarrollo. Históricamente, analizamos los casos criminales con el objetivo de obtener condenas. Sin embargo, cuando hablamos de delitos económicos, condenar a una persona no siempre es suficiente. Si no recuperamos los activos, no estamos devolviendo a la sociedad aquello que le fue robado.\n\nDurante el curso, aprendí no solamente sobre los distintos marcos legales que existen a nivel mundial en la materia, sino también cómo utilizarlos en casos concretos. El personal académico y el material del campus virtual fueron también excelentes. \n\nTodas esas herramientas me están sirviendo mucho en el día a día en mi trabajo. Inclusive ya me permitieron un crecimiento dentro de mi carrera profesional que aún no puedo comentar de manera oficial.\n\nAdemás, fue mi primera experiencia internacional. Conocí gente de distintos países y de distintos ámbitos, lo cual fue muy enriquecedor.\n\n**Pudiste unirte a este programa gracias a una beca. ¿Qué significó este apoyo para ti?**\n\nYo soy funcionario público de un país con grandes desafíos económicos. Los salarios de los funcionarios como yo, tanto en Argentina como en Latinoamérica, no son los más elevados.\n\nEn ese contexto, vi que el Basel Institute ofrecía apoyo financiero a través del [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship), así que postulé. Desde un primer momento, el equipo fue muy receptivo. Tuvimos algunas entrevistas y, gracias a los fondos que habían logrado recaudar, pude obtener una beca parcial que me permitió tomar el curso.\n\nA los donantes y benefactores les diría que su aporte no es solo una ayuda individual para un estudiante: es una inversión directa en la justicia de nuestros países. Gracias a su contribución, hoy cuento con herramientas de vanguardia para investigar delitos complejos y recuperar activos que pertenecen a la sociedad.\n\n**¿Por qué le recomendarías esta capacitación a otros fiscales o investigadores de la región?**\n\nCuando uno está en la función pública, y sobre todo en un puesto como el de fiscal, es muy difícil mirar más allá, a lo que uno no ve en el día a día. Pero el delito está mutanto. De hecho, ya mutó, y si no nos adaptamos, no vamos a poder hacer bien nuestro trabajo ni devolverle a la sociedad eso que se rompe cuando se comete un delito.\n\nEntonces, yo les diría a ellos, y a todos interesados en combatir el crimen financiero, que se animen a salir un poco de ese día a día y a tomar cursos como estos. \n\nLes recomiendo ampliamente este programa, no solamente por la calidad académica, sino también por la calidad humana del equipo del Basel Institute. Fue una experiencia increíble. \n\n**Gracias, Julio, por compartir tu experiencia y el impacto que ha tenido este programa de postgrado en tu carrera.**\n\n*Julio Petrucci es solo uno de los talentosos profesionales que han podido cursar este programa de postgrado gracias al Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund. Agradecemos profundamente a todos quienes han aportado, y siguen aportando generosamente, a este fondo, especialmente a [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F), [Bonifassi Avocats](https:\u002F\u002Fbonifassi-avocats.com\u002Fen\u002F), [Bennett Jones](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bennettjones.com\u002F), [ECO Strategic Communications](https:\u002F\u002Fecostrats.com\u002F) y [Kellerhals Carrard](https:\u002F\u002Fkellerhals-carrard.ch\u002Fen).*\n\n## Más información\n\n::: links\n- [Conoce el postgrado “Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery”](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery) -> Programa de postgrado dictado junto con la Universidad de Basilea. \n- [Haz tu donación al Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) -> Ayúdanos a capacitar a la nueva generación de profesionales que luchan contra la corrupción. \n- [Conoce nuestra oferta online de cursos de capacitación](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses) -> Capacitación enfocada en los desafíos que presenta el crimen financiero, dictada por profesionales del sector.\n:::\n","historias-de-egresados-julio-petrucci","es","\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Falumni-stories-julio-petrucci",{"id":367,"body":368,"status":6,"type":10,"date":369,"slug":370,"title":371,"image":372,"countries":373,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":374,"nid":13,"topics":383,"activities":13,"authors":384,"images":385,"websites":386,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":387,"translation_of":13,"user_created":38,"date_created":388,"user_updated":389,"date_updated":390,"content":391,"translations_news":392,"link":393},10647,"How and where can a professional acquire specialised knowledge in asset recovery? A year ago, that question didn’t have an easy answer. Today, it does: with the postgraduate programme \"[CAS Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery)\", offered by the Basel Institute on Governance and the University of Basel. \n\nThis July, we were delighted to welcome the first cohort to our headquarters in Basel and host the 1.5-day hybrid closing event. \n\nHere are a few highlights from the programme, and what participants themselves had to say about their experience.\n\n## A programme unique in its class\n\nThis Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) was developed to address a longstanding gap in postgraduate education. While aspects of asset recovery are covered in some university courses, there has until now been no similar qualification combining academic learning with practical skills.\n\nThe programme draws on more than two decades of experience from our [International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR)](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fwork\u002Fenforcement), which has worked with authorities around the world to strengthen financial investigations, asset recovery and international cooperation.\n\nGraduates receive a CAS degree from the [University of Basel](https:\u002F\u002Fadvancedstudies.unibas.ch\u002Fstudienangebot\u002Fkurs\u002Fcas-combating-financial-crime-through-asset-recovery-300795), one of Switzerland's leading universities. \n\n## A global classroom\n\nThe first cohort brought together prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, anti-money laundering specialists, development practitioners, bankers and policy professionals from 10 countries across Africa, South America, Asia and Europe.\n\nThe online format with live sessions helped make that possible. It gave participants the flexibility to join from anywhere in the world and balance the course with their day-to-day work – and, just as importantly, to connect with peers working under completely different legal systems. That’s exactly the kind of contact that matters for international cooperation.\n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002F50c4e6ce-a88b-4d8f-8703-ed2a39ed1bea)\n\nAs one participant from Europe explained: \n\n> The exchange with other participants working in different jurisdictions was extremely valuable. That was crucial for seeing how asset recovery is approached differently elsewhere, and what options other jurisdictions have. Asset recovery is a global issue now – money moves across the world, so you can't just sit in your office thinking everything stops at the border.\n\nThe cohort also spanned different levels of expertise, from prosecutors to lawyers working in cybercrime to people just entering the field. As another participant, who works in development cooperation, explains:\n\n> After having worked for two decades in development cooperation, I realised that if less money was lost to financial crime, countries could decide more autonomously where to invest in their own development. So I got interested in the topic of money laundering, and how we could get better at fighting it.\n\n## Learning by doing\n\nWhen we asked participants what they found most valuable or unique about the programme, the answer was always the same: its practical approach. \n\nAsset recovery is a complex discipline that spans financial investigations, international cooperation, prosecution and the management and return of confiscated assets. Professionals working in this field need not only legal knowledge, but the practical skills that can be applied across different jurisdictions and institutional settings.\n\nOver six months, the cohort engaged in interactive online sessions built around real cases and realistic simulated investigation exercises, guided by practitioners who have investigated and prosecuted financial crime themselves.\n\nA participant from Uruguay explains:\n\n> In most certifications, the focus tends to stay on theory and definitions, spending a lot of time discussing ethical and regulatory issues. But in this case, it was so case-specific and applied that by the end, you know what you have to do, you know how to investigate and you know the steps for asset recovery.\n\n## The final project: a professional opportunity\n\nThat practical focus culminates in the personal project each participant is now completing in order to graduate: a chance to advance a project from their own work, a side interest or simply an area they want to explore in more depth.\n\nOne participant is taking the programme to build up a specialised Asset Recovery Office within the Ministry of Justice. It tackles the problem that currently, competence is split between the prosecutor's office and the police, and neither magistrates nor police officers have the same view of the data. \n\nAnother participant is working on a proposal to bring public-private collaboration to her country's asset recovery efforts. She noticed a clear gap: information that should flow between the two sectors simply wasn't being exchanged. Throughout the programme, she tested her model with instructors, refining it with their feedback. Her final project now sets out how that collaboration could actually work in practice.\n\n## Discussing future career steps \n\nThe closing event was also a chance to look ahead to the careers and opportunities this certificate can open. An exclusive panel discussion showcased the breadth of career paths in combating financial crime, bringing together experts from international organisations, the public sector and private industry. \n\nThe panel featured Kodjo Attisso (Coordinator of the Illicit Finance Fusion Center – Africa at UNODC), Federica Maschera (Group Financial Crime Engagement Manager at HSBC Holdings plc), Pedro Gomes Pereira (Advisor on Anti-Corruption and Asset Recovery) and Maria Schnebli (Federal Prosecutor at the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland).\n\nThe panellists shared their career paths and challenges in the various sectors, and the steps they took to get to their current affiliations. \n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002F3435a2ff-4289-497f-aab5-ba2e4b8c1526)\n\nMaria Schnebli also gave a keynote speech on international collaboration and the challenges of combating financial crime from a Swiss prosecutor's perspective. This tied in perfectly with the work the students had done throughout the course.\n\n## The Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund\n\nSome students in this cohort could only take the course thanks to financial support. We launched the [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) to help cover tuition costs for talented professionals from low-income backgrounds.\n\nWe have received, and continue to receive, generous donations from organisations and individuals alike. \n\nJulio Petrucci, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was one of the participants who benefited. As he puts it: \n\n> To donors and benefactors, I would say that your contribution isn't just individual support for one student – it's a direct investment in justice across our countries. Thanks to your contribution, I now have the tools to investigate complex crimes and recover assets that belong to society.\n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fassets\u002F1fa76298-84af-47af-852f-e5ec0bced22b)\n\nWe are deeply grateful to our donors for making these opportunities possible, especially the [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F), [Bonifassi Avocats](https:\u002F\u002Fbonifassi-avocats.com\u002Fen\u002F), [Bennett Jones](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bennettjones.com\u002F), [ECO Strategic Communications](https:\u002F\u002Fecostrats.com\u002F) and [Kellerhals Carrard](https:\u002F\u002Fkellerhals-carrard.ch\u002Fen).\n\n## Another way to build capacity\n\nAs the first cohort prepares to graduate, the programme marks another step in the Basel Institute's efforts to strengthen global capacity to investigate financial crime, recover stolen assets, and build a new generation of practitioners connected through a worldwide community of practice.\n\nAlong with our second postgraduate programme, “[CAS Mastering Today’s Anti-Corruption Challenges](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-anti-corruption)”, it marks our current portfolio of practice related academic programmes to support careers, knowledge and skills development of talented international professionals and practitioners.\n\nCongratulations to all the participants of this first cohort.\n\n## Learn more\n\n::: links\n- [Discover “Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery”](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery) -> Postgraduate programme delivered online in partnership with the University of Basel.\n- [Contribute to the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) -> Help train the next generation of anti-corruption professionals.\n- [Discover our offer of short online training courses](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses) -> Practitioner-led training focused on real-world financial crime challenges. \n:::\n","2026-07-29","asset-recovery-postgraduate-programme-first-cohort","Asset recovery postgraduate programme: Celebrating our first graduating cohort","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F56fa7724-c399-4997-8519-bdfc4289f5b5?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[375,377,379,381],{"tags_id":376},{"id":241,"name":242},{"tags_id":378},{"id":337,"name":338},{"tags_id":380},{"id":71,"name":72},{"tags_id":382},{"id":245,"name":246},[252,16],[],[],[19],[],"2026-07-29T08:03:11.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2026-07-29T10:18:18.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fasset-recovery-postgraduate-programme-first-cohort",{"id":395,"body":396,"status":6,"type":270,"date":397,"slug":398,"title":399,"image":400,"countries":401,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":402,"nid":13,"topics":417,"activities":13,"authors":418,"images":419,"websites":420,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":421,"translation_of":13,"user_created":38,"date_created":422,"user_updated":38,"date_updated":423,"content":424,"translations_news":425,"link":426},10640,"In episode 37 of the podcast [Sophie au pays des possibles](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sophieaupaysdespossibles.com\u002F), host and anti-corruption expert Sophie Lemaître conversed with [Claudia Baez Camargo](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fdr-claudia-baez-camargo\u002F), Director of Prevention, Research and Innovation at the Basel Institute on Governance. \n\nClaudia leads a specialised team of researchers who leverage behavioural science, political economy analysis and field research to design context-sensitive anti-corruption strategies. Among others, they advance approaches based on understanding and targeting social norms.\n\nThis Q&A is an edited extract of their discussion on why top-down laws often fail against local realities and how practical, bottom-up solutions can empower citizens to drive real change. \n\n**Sophie Lemaître: What are social norms, and why is it essential to consider them when addressing corruption?**\n\nClaudia Baez Camargo: Essentially, social norms are what we perceive as typical, expected or socially accepted behaviour in a given context. \n\nFor example, if a traffic officer stops you in Mexico – where I was born and grew up – most would offer a bribe to get out of the predicament. Or when accessing healthcare services, people might give a “gift” or bribe before receiving care. If they don't, they fear they won't receive the service or the correct medicine. \n\nEven if they are personally against corruption and know the law forbids it, the social expectation can push them to do it anyway.\n\nUnderstanding these expectations is key to designing effective anti-corruption interventions.\n\n**Sophie: I've heard statements like \"Corruption is part of the culture of this country.\" Can we say some cultures or countries are more corrupt than others?**\n\nClaudia: I've often been told, across Africa, Latin America, the Balkans or Asia, \"Oh, Claudia, it's in our culture. What are we going to do?\" \n\nBut these regions have such vastly different cultures that I doubt culture is the defining factor. In my view, the real drivers are structural. \n\n- First, there are resource constraints: living in poverty and unmet need drives corruption. \n- Second, there are weak state institutions. When the state fails to deliver, it generates incentives to bypass the law just to solve problems, make money or access services. \n\nCulture simply adapts around these realities, absorbing corrupt practices through local names and jokes.\n\nSocial norms apply to concrete, narrow situations – they dictate what we're expected to do. \n\nCulture is something we all have an emotional stake in, so calling a culture corrupt is self-degrading and ignores how rich cultures are. \n\nI prefer to focus on social norms because they provide a concrete entry point where we can actually act and change things.\n\n**Sophie: Have you noticed people saying that addressing corruption is a Western thing?**\n\nClaudia: Government and anti-corruption officials across the board have assimilated the language of good governance, largely because their laws follow UN Conventions. At that level, a Westernised view definitely prevails.\n\nAt the grassroots, it's completely different. In research in Uganda and Tanzania, we used fictional \"vignettes\" to ask citizens about their perceptions of public officials, presenting two characters: \n\n- One who strictly abides by the law and refuses bribes.\n- Another who uses their authority to extract resources, but distributes them to their family and community. Stealing in order to share, like Robin Hood.\n\nAlmost without exception, people said the one stealing and sharing was great, loved and respected, while the law-abiding official was called a traitor who ignored his community responsibilities. \n\nFrom this view, the \"corrupt\" ones are those who fail to use power to look after their network. \n\nUltimately, there is vast room for interpretation regarding what corruption is, depending entirely on social norms, cultural environments and practical needs.\n\n**Sophie: How can we induce behaviour change to create a culture of integrity when the situation involves so many social norms, informal practices and other drivers?**\n\nClaudia: A lot of anti-corruption projects and investments are still very prescriptive. Focusing purely on top-down \"best practices\" and laws creates an \"implementation gap\": countries with excellent laws on paper but terrible results in practice.\n\nTo achieve sustainable change, we must go bottom-up. \n\nWorking at the subnational or municipal level shows a lot of promise, because it allows local governments to engage directly with constituents, jointly identify priorities and co-design solutions. \n\nAs scholar Yuen Yuen Ang argues in her work on [adaptive political economy](https:\u002F\u002Fmuse.jhu.edu\u002Farticle\u002F954433), you cannot expect context-defying behaviours to emerge just because you pass a law. We need to use what is already there – local practices, social networks and community groups – to solve problems sustainably without corruption. \n\nIt does not have to be a textbook Western \"best practice\", as long as it works.\n\n**Sophie: Do you have a success story or promising initiative you could share?**\n\nClaudia: On success stories, once I worked on a project on a remote island in the Philippines where the mayor was a true champion for his community. He even gave his personal mobile number to every citizen. \n\nIt was a very poor community, but because things were decided collectively, their few resources were visibly used in the best interest of everyone.\n\nOn promising initiatives, I'm currently supporting a Swiss-funded project in Moldova that takes this bottom-up approach seriously: its first year is dedicated purely to building trust among local stakeholders. Without trust, people can't collaborate or identify joint priorities. \n\nInvesting in trust, then letting the community take the driver's seat, is essential for sustainability. Otherwise, once funding dries up, everything regresses.\n\n**Sophie: Anti-corruption progress is slow, and we’re experiencing a global backlash. What keeps you motivated?**\n\nClaudia: What I love about my job is going to different countries and speaking with mayors, citizen groups, civil society organisations and the private sector – the real people on the ground whose lives would be transformed if there were less corruption.\n\nThat's what motivates me. Corruption remains a devastating barrier to development and poverty reduction. We often hear we need to \"raise awareness\", but that isn't true; in almost every context, people already know what's corrupt, suffer from it and dislike it.\n\nWe simply cannot give up. The climate can be demotivating, but if we're passive spectators, we can say goodbye to the institutions we've fought for. With our actions, we can intervene and change the course of events.\n\n**Sophie: One final question: how can we as individual citizens play a role in fighting corruption?**\n\nClaudia: First, by understanding our duties. Good governance is fundamentally linked to democracy, and whether you live in an established or fragile democracy, the legal framework almost always gives citizens instruments to engage with their representatives.\n\nIf we normalise using these tools to question authority and demand accountability, we strengthen the rule of law and put corrupt actors under scrutiny. If enough people do this, a lot can change.\n\n## Learn more\n\n::: links\n\n- [Quick Guide: Social norms and corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-10-social-norms-and-corruption\u002F)\n-  [Research Case Study: Harnessing behavioural approaches against corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-5\u002F)\n- [Blog – Bridging the gap: How behavioural science can strengthen anti-corruption and crime prevention](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fbridging-the-gap-how-behavioural-science-can-strengthen-anti-corruption-and-crime-prevention-2809\u002F)\n- [Article – Corruption and Social Norms: A New Arrow in the Quiver](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fcorruption-and-social-norms-new-arrow-quiver\u002F)\n- [Episode 37 of *Sophie au pays des possibles*](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sophieaupaysdespossibles.com\u002F37-normes-sociales-corruption)\n:::\n","2026-07-02","podcast-interview-sophie-lemaitre-social-norms","There’s a gap between what laws say and what people do. How is that useful for anti-corruption work?","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F3920eb09-db0e-48e7-8a49-8b841e448232?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[403,407,409,413],{"tags_id":404},{"id":405,"name":406},848,"Behavioural science",{"tags_id":408},{"id":57,"name":58},{"tags_id":410},{"id":411,"name":412},1373,"Corruption prevention",{"tags_id":414},{"id":415,"name":416},1309,"Informality",[278,17],[],[],[19],[],"2026-06-24T15:49:48.000Z","2026-07-02T09:26:36.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fpodcast-interview-sophie-lemaitre-social-norms",{"id":428,"body":429,"status":6,"type":10,"date":430,"slug":431,"title":432,"image":433,"countries":434,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":435,"nid":13,"topics":445,"activities":13,"authors":446,"images":447,"websites":448,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":449,"translation_of":13,"user_created":38,"date_created":450,"user_updated":451,"date_updated":452,"content":453,"translations_news":454,"link":455},10642,"As part of a wider Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme, our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) has concluded a successful nine-month [train-the-trainer (TTT) programme](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Ftraining\u002Ftrain-the-trainer) in Bucharest.\n\nAlongside delivering foundational money laundering and asset recovery training to 125 practitioners in total, the programme has certified six new local trainers. Equipped with ICAR’s unique training methodology, they are now ready to independently train their peers and help strengthen financial investigation and asset recovery capacity across Romania.\n\n## Building sustainable national capacity\n\nThe six trainers certified through the programme include one judge, four prosecutors and one representative of the National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets (ANABI). Fully independently, they will now deliver a further 15 workshops across the country. \n\nThis effort will effectively bring the total number of practitioners trained to around 500, including judges, prosecutors, specialists, ANABI inspectors and other relevant practitioners.\n\nThis is a clear example of how train-the-trainer programmes are a proven approach to building sustainable national capacity. On one side, certified local trainers help ensure that knowledge and skills continue to be transferred even after a programme concludes. On the other side, participants benefit far more from learning from peers who understand their specific challenges and possibilities. \n\n![](https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F6e8e2abf-4837-4223-ac15-104e535cf8ff)\n\n## Two critical legal tools in focus\n\nThis time, the programme placed particular emphasis on two areas where practitioners can strengthen their response to financial crime: treating money laundering as a standalone offence and launching financial investigations from the earliest stages of a case.\n\n### 1. The standalone money laundering offence\n\nA persistent challenge in money laundering investigations is the assumption that prosecutors must first prove or secure a conviction before pursuing money laundering charges.\n\nUnder the Council of Europe's Warsaw Convention (CETS No. 198, Art. 9) and EU Directive (EU) 2018\u002F1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law, a conviction for money laundering actually requires neither a prior nor a simultaneous conviction for the predicate offence, nor that the predicate offence be established or identified with precision: prosecutors need only show that the property derives from criminal activity, not which specific crime generated it.\n\nAs one of the newly certified trainers reflected:\n\n> I highly valued the new perspective of setting aside the old view of placement, layering and integrating the proceeds of a crime in order to prove money laundering. […] It was very useful the approach of covering as many areas as possible impacted by money laundering, like crypto assets, which I did not know almost anything about before, and asset recovery, which is not a topic very much considered in our practice. I was also very impressed how the concept of multi-stakeholder approach in fighting ML was reflected in setting up the groups for the practical exercise.\n\n### 2. Systematic use of parallel financial investigations\n\nAnother important approach is the systematic use of parallel financial investigations to identify and trace criminal assets from the outset of a case.\n\nThis approach is now required under Directive (EU) 2024\u002F1260 on asset recovery and confiscation, which obliges Member States to launch asset-tracing investigations alongside criminal investigations into high-revenue-generating crime, rather than waiting for a conviction before tracing assets. \n\nThis shift is already visible in practice. One trainer wrote:\n\n> I started talking to my colleagues about financial investigations and money laundering. I managed to send to court my first money laundering case, though not standalone, and I also started asking the police to start financial investigations from the beginning of the file.\n\n## From training to real cases\n\nThe effect of our training has also reached institutional level. One trainer reported:\n\n> The management has started disseminating theoretical and practical materials on these topics, organising meetings and training sessions with practitioners and academics, and actively encouraging prosecutors to consider money laundering and asset recovery aspects in their cases. These initiatives have facilitated increased awareness and engagement within the institution.\n\nThis is exactly the dual impact we seek through the Train-the-Trainer model: a sustainable, independently delivered training capacity, paired with a genuine shift in how practitioners approach financial investigations in their daily work and how their institutions prioritise it. \n\nWith the first independently delivered workshops planned for September 2026, our ICAR training team looks forward to following the six newly certified trainers and seeing their work generate further impact across Romania.\n\n## Update: From onsite to online training settings\nOur interactive ICAR training on financial investigations and asset recovery is also adapted to online delivery. Building sustainable national capacity also means transferring this experience to local trainers.\n\nOn 16–18 September 2026, the six Romanian trainers joined us at our headquarters in Basel for a mentoring session on online training development. Participants learned about:\n- the specificities of training logistics for online delivery;\n- the use of polls, quizzes and interactive tools;\n- the use of videoconferencing functionalities; and\n- the use of breakout rooms for multi-agency group work on simulated investigations.\n\nThe session also covered how the e-Learning platform specifically developed with the Romanian Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (PICCJ) and the National Institute of Magistracy (INM) can be managed for online delivery.\n\nThe certified trainers are now equipped to independently deliver the financial investigation and asset recovery workshops to their peers online, as well as onsite.\n\n## About the programme\n\nThis TTT was part of the Component 3 (*Strengthening the institutional capacity in the area of financial investigations and asset recovery* – FIARS) of a larger Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme.\n\nThis component is implemented by PICCJ as component operator, in partnership with the INM and the Basel Institute on Governance as the Swiss partner. \n","2026-06-30","six-new-certified-trainers-in-romania","Six new certified trainers will scale financial investigation and asset recovery capacity in Romania","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F01933814-65b1-456f-b042-211e39e191ab?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[436,438,441,443],{"tags_id":437},{"id":241,"name":242},{"tags_id":439},{"id":96,"name":440},"Virtual assets",{"tags_id":442},{"id":337,"name":338},{"tags_id":444},{"id":245,"name":246},[252,16],[],[],[19],[],"2026-06-29T15:17:08.000Z","d22c72aa-896a-43ce-acca-4154ff70a25a","2026-09-21T10:13:58.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fsix-new-certified-trainers-in-romania",{"id":457,"body":458,"status":6,"type":270,"date":459,"slug":460,"title":461,"image":462,"countries":463,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":464,"nid":13,"topics":471,"activities":13,"authors":472,"images":475,"websites":476,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":477,"translation_of":13,"user_created":38,"date_created":478,"user_updated":38,"date_updated":479,"content":480,"translations_news":481,"link":482},10637,"_Investigative journalists and civil society organisations are often the first to uncover corruption, suspicious financial flows and hidden assets. But turning those discoveries into successful financial investigations and recovered assets requires specialised knowledge that many practitioners have never had the opportunity to acquire._\n\n_To help bridge this gap, the Basel Institute's International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) has developed a new training course on [Asset Recovery for Civil Society and Journalists](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses\u002Fasset-recovery)._ \n\n_Combining practical exercises, open-source intelligence techniques and a realistic corruption case simulation, the course equips participants with a deeper understanding of how assets are traced, investigated and ultimately recovered._\n\n_In this Q&A, ICAR trainers Tom Walugembe and Emmanuel Mringo explain why the training was developed, what makes its approach distinctive, who it is designed for and the impact they hope participants will have after completing it._\n\n## What specific gap or need led to the development of this course for civil society and investigative journalists?\n\nIn the past two decades we have seen major financial crime scandals, such as the Panama and Pandora Papers leaks, in which efforts by organisations like the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) have led to financial crime investigations and prosecutions. \n\nYet in many parts of the world, journalists and other non-state actors like civil society organisations (CSOs) are under-equipped with the knowledge of asset recovery processes needed to carry out their core work effectively. \n\nFor CSOs, that often includes advocacy for policy reform. For journalists, it means evidence-based investigative reporting, as well as the skills to trace illicit financial flows, understand money laundering typologies and gather actionable information whose exposure can trigger financial investigations and lead to the recovery of stolen assets.\n\nThere is international recognition of their importance in the fight against corruption – e.g., [Article 13 of the UN Convention Against Corruption](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Fdocuments\u002Fbrussels\u002FUN_Convention_Against_Corruption.pdf), which requires state parties to take measures to promote the participation of CSOs and individuals in the fight against corruption. \n\nBut when it comes to investigating and recovering proceeds of corruption, there is little or no targeted training to enable CSOs and journalists to play this role effectively. We developed the course to address these capacity gaps.\n\n## How does this course fit within and complement ICAR’s wider training and learning offer?\n\nThis course complements [ICAR’s broader training portfolio](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Ftraining) by broadening its traditional audience. \n\nICAR training programmes focus heavily on law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, financial intelligence units and judicial authorities.\n\nThis new module extends ICAR’s reach to non-state actors while aligning with ICAR’s uniquely effective methodology and offerings. It also integrates with [Basel LEARN](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-learn), the Basel Institute’s online learning platform, which enables blended learning and pre-course preparation. \n\nThe course emphasises core ICAR themes, including parallel financial investigations, international cooperation, and asset tracing, freezing and confiscation.\n\n## And ICAR’s postgraduate programmes on asset recovery?\n\nUnlike the ICAR-led Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programme on [Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery\u002F), this is a short professional training course rather than a university-accredited academic programme.\n\nThe CAS programmes, delivered in partnership with the University of Basel, run over six months and require around 300 hours of study. By contrast, this course provides a focused, accessible introduction to asset recovery concepts and practical skills. \n\nThe aim is to enable individuals to strengthen their contribution to transparency, accountability and anti-corruption efforts without the substantial time commitment of a postgraduate programme.\n\n## What makes the course’s approach – especially the use of a simulated case and OSINT –distinctive for this audience?\n\nLike other ICAR training modules, the course focuses on developing practical skills through the “learn by doing” methodology. Participants do not simply learn theoretical concepts in a classroom setting. Working in teams, they conduct a simulated corruption and money laundering investigation. They learn to follow financial trails wherever they lead, through layers of international banking transactions and the misuse of offshore shell companies.\n\nAs this audience of CSOs and investigative journalists lacks investigative powers (such as accessing bank accounts or searching premises), the course emphasises alternative methods for securing information that could trigger or support financial investigations. These include using access to public information laws and open-source intelligence (OSINT).\n\n## What kind of real-world impact do you realistically hope participants will have after completing the training?\n\n### First, better investigations. \n\nIndividuals who complete the course will gain stronger OSINT skills to effectively gather information on financial crime and illicit assets. They will have broader knowledge to detect modern bribery and money laundering schemes. They will understand anti-money laundering frameworks and the meticulous process of conducting financial investigations. They will have  greater capacity to analyse financial records, such as bank statements, company documents and procurement records.\n\n### Second, more objective reporting.\n\nThe course will expose participants to the practical challenges of financial investigations and asset recovery, including capacity gaps, asset management and slow international cooperation. This will lead to, among other things, more objective press reporting on financial crimes and asset recovery cases. \n\n### Third, a stronger accountability role. \n\nUpon completing the course, participants will also have the broader knowledge needed to report on and follow up on the reuse of recovered assets, ensuring they are used effectively. \n\n### Fourth, a stronger network.\n\nThe course will provide a platform to foster better cooperation among CSOs, investigative journalists and law enforcement agencies. It will also foster regional and international cooperation among CSOs and Investigative Journalists. \n\nOur dream? That CSOs and journalists go from being external observers and reporters to complementary actors who ensure that financial investigations are effective and transparent, and that stolen assets are quickly detected, traced, seized, well-managed, confiscated, repatriated and deployed to achieve sustainable development. \n\nAmbitious, but essential to making a dent in the corruption and financial crime that hinder development and prosperity worldwide.\n\n## Interested in bringing this training to your organisation or network?\n\nThe [Asset Recovery for Civil Society and Journalists course](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fcourses\u002Fasset-recovery) can be delivered either onsite or online for booked groups of approximately 25–30 participants. It is suitable for national, regional or international audiences and can be tailored to specific contexts and learning needs.\n\nFor individuals, the course is also offered online as an open enrolment programme, allowing participants from anywhere in the world to join. To learn more or discuss delivery options, contact training@baselgovernance.org.\n","2026-06-12","interview-why-journalists-need-asset-recovery-skills","Q&A: Why civil society and journalists need asset recovery skills – and how they can gain them","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fb659354b-528b-418e-b5ee-d94e2496efaa?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[465,467,469],{"tags_id":466},{"id":241,"name":242},{"tags_id":468},{"id":245,"name":246},{"tags_id":470},{"id":71,"name":72},[252,16],[473,474],1383,1384,[],[19],[],"2026-06-12T13:19:29.000Z","2026-06-29T09:42:22.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Finterview-why-journalists-need-asset-recovery-skills",{"id":484,"body":485,"status":6,"type":270,"date":486,"slug":487,"title":488,"image":489,"countries":490,"topic":13,"activity":13,"tags":491,"nid":13,"topics":508,"activities":13,"authors":509,"images":511,"websites":512,"area":13,"programme":13,"language":20,"translations":513,"translation_of":13,"user_created":261,"date_created":514,"user_updated":451,"date_updated":515,"content":516,"translations_news":517,"link":518},10633,"_This article by [Dr Jacopo Costa](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fdr-jacopo-costa\u002F) is one of two Basel Institute commentaries on the EU's new Anti-Corruption Directive._\n\n_While the [companion piece by Rita Simões](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Feu-directive-enforcement) examines the directive's legal and institutional implications, this article takes a political economy perspective. It considers what the directive reveals about changing understandings of corruption, how corruption risks are evolving in an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven environment, and where future EU anti-corruption efforts may need to focus._\n\n_The key message is that the directive represents an important advance in legal harmonisation, but that effective anti-corruption policy will also require stronger strategic thinking, greater use of data and technology, and closer attention to emerging corruption risks linked to procurement, border security and financial infrastructure._\n\nApril 2026, the European Union formally adopted [Directive 2026\u002F1021](https:\u002F\u002Feur-lex.europa.eu\u002Feli\u002Fdir\u002F2026\u002F1021\u002Foj\u002Feng) on combatting corruption. Following years of negotiations, political disagreements and institutional bargaining, the EU now has a comprehensive anti-corruption framework establishing common definitions, offences, sanctions and preventive measures across its member states.\n\nThis is a landmark achievement. But it would be a mistake to view the directive as the culmination of the European anti-corruption journey.\n\nIn fact, its adoption marks the beginning of a much larger challenge: turning a legal framework into an effective EU Anti-Corruption Strategy that can address the evolving forms of corruption emerging in an increasingly complex geopolitical and technological landscape.\n\n## Why the directive matters\n\nFor years, the EU lacked a coherent anti-corruption framework. Although member states had their own legislation, there were significant differences in how corruption offences were defined, investigated and punished.\n\nThese discrepancies created loopholes that could be exploited by corrupt individuals and hindered cross-border cooperation between national authorities.\n\nThe new directive aims to address these issues by introducing common minimum standards across the EU. In particular, it:\n\n-   harmonises the definitions of bribery in the public and private sectors, trading in influence, misappropriation, obstruction of justice, illicit enrichment and the concealment of criminal proceeds;\n-   introduces common standards for criminal sanctions, corporate liability, statutes of limitation, whistleblower protection, anti-corruption strategies and specialised anti-corruption bodies; and\n-   broadens the definition of public officials to encompass not only national officeholders, but also senior EU officials and individuals performing public duties on behalf of public institutions. This reflects the reality of contemporary governance, where public services are increasingly delivered through hybrid public–private arrangements.\n\nIt is the most ambitious attempt yet to establish a shared European anti-corruption framework.\n\n## A more modern understanding of corruption\n\nOne of the directive's most significant strengths is its recognition that corruption is not confined to the traditional notion of an envelope stuffed with cash being exchanged.\n\nWe welcome this change in perspective greatly, because our research demonstrates clearly that contemporary [corruption is increasingly networked, sophisticated and relational](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fblog\u002Fcorruption-complex-adaptive-network). It often relies on intermediaries, influence brokers, hidden financial channels, luxury gifts, preferential treatment, future career opportunities and informal exchanges of favours.\n\nIncluding offences such as trading in influence, illicit enrichment, concealing criminal proceeds and aiding or abetting corruption schemes shows an understanding of how corruption operates in modern societies.\n\nThis evolution is important because anti-corruption frameworks often struggle to keep up with the evolving nature of corruption. The directive is a valuable attempt to address this issue and close the resulting gap.\n\n## The price of political compromise\n\nLegislation is never produced in isolation from politics. Significant disagreements emerged among EU institutions and member states during the adoption process. Several governments expressed concerns about subsidiarity and the potential consequences of criminalising particular behaviours.\n\nSo, the final directive is less ambitious than the original proposal.\n\nOne example concerns the offence previously known as “abuse of office”. Following intense political resistance, particularly from countries such as Germany and Italy, the final text replaced it with the more cautious formulation of “unlawful exercise of public functions”. The compromise facilitated agreement, but introduced ambiguity that could hinder enforcement.\n\nSimilarly, criminal sanctions and limitation periods were reduced during negotiations. Maximum prison sentences were reduced, and statutes of limitation were scaled back considerably compared to earlier drafts.\n\nThese compromises highlight a recurring dilemma in policymaking not only in Europe but everywhere: achieving consensus often necessitates compromising on ambition. The result is a directive that establishes a common baseline, yet leaves considerable room for interpretation among member states.\n\n## The missing security lens\n\nPerhaps the most significant limitation of the directive is its relatively little guidance on what anti-corruption efforts should look like in today's rapidly changing security environment.\n\nThis is because corruption is increasingly also a geopolitical and security issue. Foreign influence operations, sanctions evasion schemes, strategic corruption, illicit financial networks, organised crime infiltration and the manipulation of critical supply chains all represent corruption-related risks affecting European security and resilience.\n\nYet these challenges remain largely outside the directive's core focus. There is a risk that anti-corruption efforts will continue to focus on traditional forms of misconduct while underestimating emerging threats linked to geopolitical competition and hybrid forms of influence.\n\n## The technology gap\n\nConsidering the hype around artificial intelligence in society generally, the most striking omission in the directive is the limited attention devoted to technological innovation. Over the past decade, governments, international organisations and researchers have been exploring how artificial intelligence, big data analytics, risk indicators, predictive modelling and open-source intelligence can bolster anti-corruption initiatives.\n\nTechnology is now essential for identifying suspicious procurement patterns, pinpointing conflicts of interest, tracing illicit financial flows and exposing corruption networks. Yet the directive contains almost no strategic vision regarding the role of technology in anti-corruption governance, which is surprising.\n\nResearch conducted under the EU-funded [FALCON project](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.falcon-horizon.eu\u002F) – of which the Basel Institute is a consortium member – demonstrates that effective anti-corruption systems are increasingly dependent on digital infrastructures capable of collecting, integrating, analysing and cross-referencing large volumes of information. Without these capabilities, many corruption risks remain invisible until significant damage has already occurred.\n\nIt’s important to stress that adopting new technologies – purchasing software, etc. – is the easy part. EU states also need to create the institutional and data infrastructures that allow these technologies to function effectively. Digitisation, interoperability, standardised datasets, machine-readable information and cross-border information sharing are all prerequisites for the next generation of anti-corruption systems.\n\n## Three areas that deserve greater attention\n\nFrom our research in the following areas, we can say for sure that they deserve particular attention in the EU’s Anti-Corruption Strategy and future initiatives:\n\n**1\\. Public procurement**\n\nPublic procurement remains one of the sectors most vulnerable to corruption. This issue is exacerbated by [Europe's increased investment in defence](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Foperational-credibility-is-a-strategic-asset-in-the-defence-industry-what-does-that-mean-for-ukraine-and-its-partners-2965\u002F), critical infrastructure, energy security, technological innovation and strategic industrial policies.\n\n[Central priorities](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Fhigh-level-corruption-analysis-schemes-costs-and-policy-recommendations) should include strengthening transparency, reducing direct awards, improving oversight of sub-threshold contracts, and introducing AI-based risk assessment tools.\n\n**2\\. Border governance**\n\nManaging borders and customs procedures is another critical challenge, as research at the [Port of Rotterdam](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-corruption-helps-drug-traffickers-adapt-to-strengthened-border-enforcement-2848\u002F) and the [Kapitan Andreevo crossing](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-stronger-borders-can-create-smarter-corruption-lessons-from-one-of-europes-most-strategic-border-crossings-2972\u002F) demonstrates. Corruption at the border facilitates a wide range of criminal activities, including smuggling, trafficking, evasion of sanctions, tax fraud and the movement of illicit goods.\n\nGreater automation, data integration and harmonisation of [border management systems](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications\u002Frecommendations-combatting-border-corruption-falcon-policy-brief) across member states could significantly reduce opportunities for corruption and strengthen the EU's capacity to detect emerging threats.\n\n**3\\. Financial infrastructures**\n\nModern corruption relies heavily on [financial infrastructure](https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs10610-024-09591-z). Complex financial networks, shell companies, professional intermediaries, offshore structures and, increasingly, cryptoassets can facilitate the movement and concealment of illicit funds.\n\nThe future of anti-corruption policy hinges on strengthening the links between anti-corruption and anti-money laundering frameworks, and on developing new approaches that can address digital financial ecosystems.\n\n## Will the EU’s Anti-Corruption Strategy help put the directive into action?\n\nThe adoption of Directive 2026\u002F1021 sends an important message that corruption remains a priority issue for the European Union. The directive establishes a much-needed common foundation and introduces valuable innovations to improve both prevention and enforcement. It provides a stronger legal framework than the fragmented system that existed previously.\n\nBut legal harmonisation alone will not be enough. The directive's effectiveness will ultimately depend on how member states implement its provisions, and on whether the European Union can develop a broader strategic vision capable of addressing emerging corruption risks.\n\nThis is where the forthcoming EU Anti-Corruption Strategy could play a decisive role. To be effective and not just a paper exercise, it must be adaptive, technology-driven and security-conscious. This strategy must respond to current corruption and anticipate its potential evolution.\n\nAnd it needs to be based on a participative process that considers the valuable research and perspectives of civil society organisations, academics and others outside of government.\n\nIf the directive provides the legal architecture, the strategy can provide the direction. Together, they could form the basis of a more adaptive and forward-looking European anti-corruption framework – one that is able to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.","2026-06-07","eu-directive-political-lens","Corruption in the age of networks, data and influence – does the EU's new Anti-Corruption Directive rise to the challenge?","https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcms\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fdaa620e4-883a-414b-9422-156b0bf16c2b?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=90",[],[492,496,500,502,506],{"tags_id":493},{"id":494,"name":495},879,"Money laundering",{"tags_id":497},{"id":498,"name":499},967,"Organised crime",{"tags_id":501},{"id":57,"name":58},{"tags_id":503},{"id":504,"name":505},1215,"Illicit financial flows",{"tags_id":507},{"id":411,"name":412},[278,17],[510],1381,[],[19],[],"2026-06-06T14:25:32.000Z","2026-07-02T09:50:06.000Z",[],[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Feu-directive-political-lens",{"left":520,"top":520,"width":521,"height":521,"rotate":520,"vFlip":522,"hFlip":522,"body":523},0,20,false,"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M17 10a.75.75 0 0 1-.75.75H5.612l4.158 3.96a.75.75 0 1 1-1.04 1.08l-5.5-5.25a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.08l5.5-5.25a.75.75 0 1 1 1.04 1.08L5.612 9.25H16.25A.75.75 0 0 1 17 10\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\u002F>",1792499885268]