Organized by Dr. Digdem Soyaltin Colella and funded by the Impact & Engagement Accelerator Fund (IEAF) of the University of Aberdeen, this one-day event brought together policymakers, civil society representatives, academics, and members of the public for an open dialogue on corruption and anti-corruption, drawing on both global and local perspectives.
Dr Soyaltin Colella opened the panel with remarks on the global crisis of democracy and corruption, followed by Dr Kathrin Thomas (University of Aberdeen)'s presentation of preliminary findings on public perceptions of corruption in the UK and Scotland.
The second part of the panel featured Daniel Bruce, Chief Executive of Transparency International UK, who addressed key challenges in the UK's anti-corruption efforts. Juliet Swann, Nations and Regions Programme Manager at Transparency International UK and co-chair of Open Government Partnership Scotland, shared strategies and countermeasures specific to the Scottish context.
Reflecting on the event’s importance, Doreen Grove, head of Open Government in the Scottish Government, noted: "It was a timely and useful event. Your research is really helpful to give more context and understand a bit better the impact that corruption has on people's perception of government."
The event concluded with a lively discussion and a networking lunch. Hosted at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, it drew nearly 30 participants and was widely shared across social media platforms by the University of Aberdeen’s Politics and International Relations Department, Transparency International UK, and the Open Government Partnership.
