On 21–22 October 2022, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the European Public Law Organization and Panteion University’s European Centre for Criminal Justice organized a scientific colloquium in partnership with Balkan Criminology and the South Eastern Europe Academic Anti-Corruption Network.

The event brought together over 80 representatives from international organizations, Greek justice and government departments (in addition to the National Transparency Authority), and south-eastern Europe universities, including students, to discuss how to teach organized crime and anti-corruption issues in the region.

The event’s objectives were to provide a forum for the exchange of views and experiences in teaching these subject areas, and to share instruments and resources created by international organizations. Spyros Flogaitis, president of EPLO, issued the event’s opening remarks. The GI-TOC presented the Global Organized Crime Index, the Western Balkans anti-corruption pledge monitor and its academic engagement efforts. Representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shared their organized crime, corruption and integrity teaching modules and manuals; Transparency International presented the Corruption Perception Index; and the International Anti-Corruption Academy outlined their master’s degree courses on anti-corruption.

The event provided academics from south-eastern Europe, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, with the opportunity to present their organized crime and corruption courses to stakeholders and students from the region. Along with networking opportunities and the strengthening of professional relationships, the event contributed to the exchange of information and exposed the younger generation to learning opportunities available in the region and those offered by international organizations.

The event was convened in memory of Dimitri Vlassis, former Chief of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, who passed away in April 2019.