International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA)

Welcome to the International Anti-Corruption Academy

The International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) is an international organization based in Laxenburg, Austria. It is the first global institution of its kind, dedicated to overcoming current shortcomings in knowledge and practice in the field of anti-corruption and seeking to empower professionals for the challenges of tomorrow. The Academy offers standardized and tailor-made training, academic degree programmes, opportunities for dialogue and networking, and anti-corruption think-tank and benchmarking activities. It provides a new, holistic approach to anti-corruption education and research, delivers and facilitates anti-corruption training for practitioners from all sectors of society, and provides technical support and assistance to a wide variety of stakeholders. International cooperation, the sharing of knowledge and experiences, and mutual support are fundamental aspects of IACA’s mandate. The organization was initiated by INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Republic of Austria, and other stakeholders. It became an international organization on 8 March 2011 and currently has a constituency of 78 Parties, including four international organizations. IACA is an observer to the UN General Assembly, GRECO, ECOSOC, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and has explicitly been welcomed by an array of international resolutions. IACA observes geographical and cultural diversity and seeks broad partnerships with public and private sector institutions, international and non-governmental organizations, and civil society. It works together with these partners to co-organize anti-corruption training and participates in other international events as a co-sponsor or expertise provider. In addition, IACA’s Dean, faculty members, and senior representatives regularly (guest) lecture and contribute to international anti-corruption consultations and working groups, advisory boards, conferences, and meetings. In providing anti-corruption education and research, IACA draws on an unwavering drive towards excellence, a spirit of innovation, and a commitment to rendering itself accessible to individuals from all over the globe.

Our Approach

Anti-corruption education offered in recent decades has been ad-hoc at best, often lacking specialization and a comprehensive framework. It has suffered from educational particularism and in some instances even separatism, thus providing limited results in the long-run. In response to these shortcomings, IACA’s holistic approach was designed. An approach which is international in catering to various corners of the globe and observing regional diversity; inter-disciplinary in ensuring that every thematic aspect of corruption, academic and practical, is taken into account; inter-sectoral in linking practitioners with researchers, the public sector with the private sector, academics with civil society; integrative, in providing knowledge and hands-on tools applicable to different parts of the world; and sustainable, in offering lasting solutions. For anti-corruption work to be effective, practitioners need to step out of their area of specialization to truly understand the intertwined manner in which this menace manifests itself, and draw on the knowledge of other fields as well as that of their diverse peers. For a thorough anti-corruption strategy in any system, society or enterprise, various aspects have to be taken into account, cross-sectoral policies evaluated and international and country-specific methods scrutinized.

Our Mission

Our principal mission is to deliver and facilitate anti-corruption education and training for professionals and practitioners from all sectors. We provide research and platforms for dialogue and networking, which is bringing together field specialists allow for the development of grounded, sustainable strategies and guidelines. Our holistic curricula address a wide range of disciplines and cater to various regions of the world. Furthermore, we advance an understanding of the cross-cutting and devastating nature of corruption and thus call for a broader contextualization. We encourage the social responsibility of all sectors and a change of attitudes in this regard. We are strongly committed to international cooperation, direct dialogue and broad partnerships as a means for expertise exchange and greater solidarity in the fight against corruption. Our alumni network provides for a continuous sharing of experiences and best practices, mutual technical assistance, and the latest know-how. We perceive our alumni as ambassadors and as part of a growing global anti-corruption alliance.

Our Vision

We view an unwavering No! to corruption as a basic right for all our societies. Our vision is, therefore, to substantially contribute to the global fight against corruption and become the leading educational institution in promulgating it. We are an international, innovative and globally renowned center of excellence, which empowers professionals. We advance the goals of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, promote the rule of law, and provide support and technical assistance for states, organizations, corporations, and other stakeholders. As corruption knows no borders, affects all countries and sectors of society and cannot be remedied with traditional educational methods alone, our vision is to tackle this global phenomenon with a new and holistic approach. This approach is:

• International – observing regional diversity, servicing all corners of the globe, and foreseeing the broadest possible outreach
• Inter-disciplinary – providing know-how and expertise from various academic and non-academic fields
• Inter-sectoral – catering to all sectors of society
• Integrative – bridging the gap between theory and practice by offering theoretical and practical knowledge and tools
• Sustainable – striving towards long-term and long-lasting solutions and services

Our Values

Our values reflect our practices. We hold integrity, credibility, accountability, transparency, ethical values, and merit-based systems in the highest regard. Impartiality and maintaining an unbiased position are also our core values. All our work shall be driven by excellence. We value the relationships we have developed with our students, staff, and stakeholders. We strive to ensure geographical diversity. Our values conform to the major international anti-corruption instruments and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We are loyal to these values, institutionally and personally, and committedly take over the responsibility of adhering to them.