On 4 December 2024, the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) proudly celebrated the graduation of 34 students of its four master’s programmes. The festive ceremony, which took place at IACA premises marks the tenth, fifth, second, and inaugural graduation for Master in Anti-Corruption Studies (MACS), International Master in Anti-Corruption and Compliance (IMACC), Master in Anti-Corruption and Diplomacy (MACD), and Master in Anti-Corruption and Compliance (MACC), respectively.
This year's graduates come from 24 countries around the world: Afghanistan, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, India, Ireland, Kenya, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States of America.
To mark the beginning of the ceremony, the Dean of IACA addressed the graduates and participants. Stressing the significance of anti-corruption education in today’s interconnected world, the Dean underlined the pivotal role of IACA graduates in advancing the global fight against corruption. She expressed her gratitude to the faculty, staff, and partners of IACA for their unwavering support to the students throughout their academic journey at the Academy.
The guest of honor, Mr. Mathias Vogl, Chair of the IACA Board of Governors, delivered an inspiring speech focusing on the role the graduates can play in the future. He emphasised that they are the “changemakers of tomorrow, equipped with the knowledge and conviction to inspire reform, promote justice, and uphold integrity.”
The message conveyed by the Dean and Mr. Vogl resonated deeply with the graduates, reaffirming the importance of their work.
Special guest, Mr. Shawn Teixeira, who is the Head of the Siemens Integrity Initiative, highlighted the past 15 years of collaboration between the Siemens Integrity Initiative and IACA in supporting nationals of Least Developed Countries and Emerging Markets in providing a holistic, outcome driven approach to fighting corruption. While offering his congratulations to the graduates, he encouraged them to savour their achievements, enjoy their accomplishments, embrace the challenges, and never give up in the fight against the scourge of corruption.
The event featured insightful remarks from Professor Johannes Maerk, who chaired the Academic Defense Committee for the IMACC Programme. Mr. Pawan Kumar Sinha, Director of Academic Programmes at IACA, also addressed the audience, offering his congratulations and encouragement to the graduating classes.
Each Programme was represented by a class speaker, who shared personal reflections on the completed journey, words of gratitude to the faculty and staff, and encouraging messages for their peers. The speeches perfectly captured the rich diversity of students' backgrounds and experiences, fostering an unforgettable experience for all in attendance.
One of the ceremony’s highlights was the presentation of the Merit Awards, which recognizes exceptional academic achievement and contributions to the field of anti-corruption. Mr. Mostafa Mohamed Ahmed Shawky Elakhras of MACS class, Mr. Guanjun Sun of IMACC class, and Ms. Anette Imbuhila Wangia of MACD class, received awards for the Best Master's Thesis. Ms. Hadia Ibrahim Khel of IMACC 2022 won the Most Innovative Thesis Award. Moreover, the Dean announced her special award to Ms. Modester Sadziwa Mandala, Ms. Melissa Memory Gundani, and Ms. Ramya Nair.
The event brought together graduates, their friends and family, members of the diplomatic corps, IACA faculty and staff. The Academy is grateful to everyone who participated, either in-person or virtually, and joined us in celebrating this achievement.
For more information on IACA’s Master Programmes, visit our Programmes page here.
