Press Release, 19.06.2025

The Anti-Corruption Policy Centre of the Yabloko party is opening applications for the summer online school “Money Laundering in the Crypto Era: Shadow Finance, Technologies, and Systemic Countermeasures”. The school is dedicated to state policies and practices of prosecuting criminal money both in Russia and the international context.

The course developers are the Centre’s experts who have practical experience in anti-corruption investigations and background in law, public administration and criminal justice. Participation is open to all Yabloko members and supporters after passing selection. Successful graduates of the previous courses of the Centre are accepted without competition.

Within the framework of the school, students will learn about the measures to counter money laundering and terrorism financing, master due diligence techniques, and study through well-known examples how digital assets are used to conceal criminal funds. Separate modules will be devoted to the economics of shadow finance, searching for ultimate beneficial owners, and the seizure and return to the state of illegally obtained assets. Successful case studies will show how partnerships between government and technology companies help to suppress shadow financial flows.

The main course lecturers are:

Alexei Karnaukhov, Director of Yabloko’s Anti-Corruption Policies Centre, Master of Political Science from the University of Sussex (the UK), doctoral candidate at the European University Institute, EUI (Florence, Italy);

Alexei Chumakov, Deputy Director of Yabloko’s Anti-Corruption Policies Centre,  Master of Criminal Justice from the University of Glasgow (the UK), doctoral candidate at the University of Manchester (the UK). Anti-corruption investigator.

Other speakers will also be invited to give lectures, including researchers from leading specialised universities, companies and non-profit organisations.

Participation in the course is free based on competitive selection. Classes will be held weekly during non-working hours in July-August 2025. Applicants should fill out a questionnaire and write a short essay. Essays will be checked for plagiarism. Copying answers from artificial intelligence chatbots is not welcomed.

Preference will be given to candidates with higher education, as well as university and college students in relevant specialisations (economics, law, political science or related fields). The essay must demonstrate clarity, literate and coherent presentation of thoughts, ability to work with academic and journalistic literature, and original analytical conclusions.

Candidates must be motivated and share the values of democracy, human rights, rule of law and pacifism. Preferred age is from 18 years, but exceptions may be made on an individual basis for high-quality work. Knowledge of English is desirable.

Classes will be held once a week. Applications accepted until 30 June 2025. Selection results notifications will be sent by 4 July 2025.

Read more about Yabloko’s Anti-Corruption Policies Centre: https://www.yabloko.ru/content/antikorruptsionnyj_tsentr