Professor Barrington chairs a panel debate on State Capture.

The Centre for the Study of Corruption (CSC) at Sussex was founded in 2011. Thanks to the support of individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate donors, it has become an internationally renowned centre of excellence for research and teaching on corruption. The centre combines cutting-edge academic approaches with practical experience of how corruption can be addressed in the real world.

Professor Robert Barrington says: “Much of our work is about finding practical solutions that will help professionals, policy makers and the public to tackle corruption. The centre is constantly building up an evidence base to show exactly what will work in tackling corruption, whilst distilling key findings into policy briefs, blogs and discussion papers to make them more accessible to all who need our help. We work with businesses and governments from all corners of the globe, using our expertise to advise on the best anti-corruption tools.”

Research and policy work is underpinned by teaching the next generation of policy analysts and anti-corruption professionals through a Master's in Corruption and Governance. “On the MA course we apply the lens of corruption analysis to all aspects of life: from Trump to Putin and FIFA to the UN, via tax havens and civil wars. Students gain an in-depth understanding of one of the world's major challenges and what can be done about it,” says Professor Barrington.

Tamanda Gomani is one such professional from Malawi. She came to Sussex to study the MA in Corruption and Governance and is now back in Malawi and working for the Malawi Revenue Authority. “My newly acquired knowledge is helping me to approach anti-corruption work within Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) from an informed perspective. I am now better able to contribute to the development and implementation of accountability tools such as the first ever MRA integrity Perception Survey and Whistleblowing Policy. I am also able to provide training on ethics and integrity to my fellow MRA employees using clear and sharper anti-corruption concepts.”

The Centre has over 300 MA Corruption and Governance alumni from all over the world, many of whom now hold senior positions in government, civil society, and the private sector. We have a growing army of anti-corruption experts working to make the world a fairer place.

Thank you

Thank you to all the individuals and organisations that support the Centre for the Study of Corruption’s work. Without your support, so much work would not have been achieved. Donors include Intelligent Sanctuary, Good Corporation, the UK Home Office, the Joffe Trust, Transparency International and Open Society Foundations, and many others.  Thank you all for helping to make the world a fairer place.

More

Find out more about the centre’s work.

Our academics are currently researching:

• state capture
• corruption in football
• red flags in public procurement
• political party funding.

They are also writing textbook 'Dictionary of Corruption', due for publication in autumn 2023. 

The centre is also working on a new definition of corruption for use by governments and civil society in developing anti-corruption strategies.

If you are interested in supporting the centre’s work, through a donation or by providing a scholarship at the centre, contact robert.yates@sussex.ac.uk.

In 2022, a new textbook on Understanding Corruption was published, written jointly by faculty members, students and alumni from the centre: Purchase your copy.

This year, the centre has taken over hosting the award-winning Kickback: the global anticorruption podcast, from Harvard University and the Interdisciplinary Corruption Research Network.  You can subscribe to the Kickback podcast: Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify or Itunes.