Corruption and financial crime undermine societies, from stalling economic growth to eroding public trust. Understanding their dynamics and how to fight them effectively is vital for professionals from any sector and corner of the world. 

This certificate programme with the University of Basel is designed to boost the knowledge, skills and careers of professionals who care about countering corruption. 

The Basel Institute’s first international postgraduate programme in anti-corruption has begun. 12 students from 11 countries across Africa, Europe and North America are taking part in the six-month course, led by Basel Institute staff and resulting in a Certificate of Advanced Studies from the University of Basel.

The course, Mastering Today’s Anti-Corruption Challenges, equips mid-career professionals with the tools, skills and networks to address corruption and governance challenges in their work.

Corruption at border points remains a pressing global issue, threatening not only border integrity but also the health, safety and security of our societies. It enables illicit trafficking, facilitates organised crime and undermines trust in public institutions.

In our Working Paper 58, Saba Kassa and Jacopo Costa examine how corruption facilitates drug trafficking through the port of Rotterdam.

Drivers, strategies and implications

This Working Paper explores the drivers and strategies of corruption as a facilitator of drug trafficking in the port of Rotterdam, with a specific focus on cocaine trafficking. Through in-depth interviews with stakeholders, a review of judicial cases and desk research, it aims to:

The Basel Institute on Governance offers a four-day training course covering the fundamentals of crypto, financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.

Delivered virtually over four interactive three-hour sessions, the course equips practitioners from law enforcement, financial and business sectors to prevent, detect and investigate the use of crypto for illicit activities.

The Basel Institute on Governance offers a four-day training course covering the fundamentals of crypto, financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.

Delivered virtually over four interactive three-hour sessions, the course equips practitioners from law enforcement, financial and business sectors to prevent, detect and investigate the use of crypto for illicit activities.

Amid geopolitical turbulence and concerns around the rise of authoritarianism and armed conflict, many people are looking at how corruption can be used “strategically” to deliberately undermine democratic institutions.

The so-called strategic use of corruption is not new. It’s often portrayed simplistically as a kind of Western movie with good guys vs. bad guys, victims vs. aggressors. The picture is, of course, more complicated than that.

In many countries with high levels of corruption, there is also a strong demand for government to do something about it. With the right conditions, that can fuel solid political commitments. We’ve seen, however, that even in cases where governments do all the right things on paper – strengthen legal frameworks, establish dedicated anti-corruption agencies, etc. – there's a gap between what they promise and what happens in practice.