Governance & Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence

The promise and perils of using leaked and sensitive data to research illicit finance
2026-02-05 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | Zoom Event
This seminar explores how leaked and sensitive datasets – often held by media organisations – can underpin research into corruption and illicit finance, drawing on GI ACE research using leaked banking data from the DRC and work mapping enabler networks.
Held in collaboration with the Illicit Finance Data Lab (ACDC & OCCRP).
SPEAKERS
David Szakonyi, Associate Professor of Political Science, The George Washington University; Co-Founder, Anti-Corruption Data Collective
Tom Mayne, Research Fellow University of Exeter
Liz David-Barrett (Chair), Director, CSC; Programme Director, GI ACE
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Sourcing data for the next generation of illicit finance research
2026-03-05 14:00 - 15:00
Researchers are faced with an abundance of data that can illuminate the shadowy worlds of illicit finance, organised crime and corruption. But gaining access to these data, narrowing down to the most promising, identifying research questions, and making them usable in academic research can be laborious and time consuming.
This online seminar, organised in collaboration with the Illicit Finance Data Lab, presents recent work to lower barriers to such data. This ranges from tackling inconsistencies in public registries of corporate, property, and trade data available unevenly around the world, to handling sensitive leaks shared with journalism organisations and archives.
Speakers

Michelle Kendler Kretsch, Research Fellow, Anti-Corruption Data Collective
Alexandra Gillies, Chief Impact Officer, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Amra Dzonlic Zlatarevic, Research and Data Operations Manager, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Milo Z. Trujillo, Postdoctoral Researcher, Data Scientist, Northeastern University and Distributed Denial of Secrets
Elizabeth David-Barrett (Chair), Programme Director, GI ACE

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Addressing corruption in crisis situations: towards effective crisis-responses in the Malawian health system
2026-04-16 13:00 - 14:00
Eric Umar (Associate Professor and Head of Department, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences) and Dina Balabanova (Professor of Health Systems and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) present the most recent findings from their GI ACE project Addressing corruption in the crisis response of the Malawian health system.
This project addresses corruption in crisis responses – Covid, Cyclone Freddy, and cholera – in the Malawian health system.
The research team are holistically mapping the types of corruption that arise or worsen during crises to build a thorough understanding of the drivers and enablers that hamper the health systems’ emergency response. This will provide the basis upon which robust and effective anti-corruption interventions in support of emergency responses can be developed.
Speakers and chair

Eric Umar (Associate Professor and Head of Department, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences)
Dina Balabanova (Professor of Health Systems and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
Liz Dávid-Barrett (Director, GI ACE)

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How to recover from state capture: lessons for Hungary from South Africa, Sri Lanka, and beyond
2026-05-27 13:00 - 14:00
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Periods of political change can provide windows to confront entrenched state capture.
Viktor Orbán’s recent removal from power in Hungary has opened a moment in which questions about institutional renewal and accountability are particularly salient.
This GI ACE roundtable brings together experts from across the globe to examine how countries emerging from deep institutional distortion have approached recovery – and what insights may be relevant for contexts now facing a potential opening.
Speakers will explore the political conditions that shape recovery efforts, the strategies reformers have used to push back against capture, and the practical tools that help rebuild integrity and public trust.
Daniel Kaufmann (Chair/Provocateur) | Co-Founder, Natural Resource Governance Institute: Dr. Daniel Kaufmann is a recognized leader in the fields of governance, anti-corruption, natural resources and development economics. Currently a Sr. Fellow at Results for Development (R4D) and the Governance Action Hub, he is also affiliated with the Brookings Institution, and is an Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Sussex.
József Péter Martin | Executive Director, Transparency International Hungary: József has been the Executive Director of Transparency International Hungary since 2013. He is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Policy at Corvinus University of Budapest.
Sankhitha Gunaratne | Head of Governance and Anti-Corruption, Verité Research: With a legal background as an Attorney-at-Law, Sankhitha Gunaratne has dedicated her career to promoting transparent, accountable, and participatory governance in Sri Lanka. Her work spans several critical areas, including the right to information, election campaign finance, public sector integrity, private sector corruption, and international asset recovery.
Jonathan Timm | Head of the Programme Management Office, State Capture Response, The Presidency, South Africa: Jonathan Timm works on coordinating implementation of the South African government’s response to the Zondo Commission on State Capture, focusing on translating recommendations into trackable actions and strengthening systems for accountability and institutional reform. He has worked across multiple parts of the state, from frontline service delivery to the national executive, including leading citizen-based monitoring programmes and developing systems to track investigative referrals and disciplinary actions.
Liz Dávid-Barrett | Director, Centre for the Study of Corruption: Liz leads the Centre for the Study of Corruption’s activities in research, teaching, and policy impact. Additionally, she is the Director of GI ACE, an FCDO funded research programme based at the Centre for the Study of Corruption.

Research in practice: reforms to Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau
2026-06-18 13:00 - 14:00
In this GI ACE seminar, Dr Abdullahi Bello (Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau) and Prof. Jackie Harvey (Professor of Financial Management, Newcastle Business School) discuss reforms made by Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) since 2024, which were partially influenced by their GI ACE project ‘Hiding the beneficial owner and the proceeds of corruption’.
The event will be chaired by Prof. Robert Barrington (Director of Operations, GI ACE).
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