A three-day educational intensive “About ANTI-CORRUPTION” was held at Carpathian National University, organised by the public organisation “About AWARENESS” together with the Department for Prevention and Detection of Corruption and the Student Senate, with the support of the “Warm City” grant program.
The event brought together 63 students from different faculties, who over the course of three days learned about Ukraine’s anti-corruption system, learned to understand how institutions that protect integrity work, and why the independence of these bodies is key to democracy.
Participants underwent a series of interactive training sessions built on a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical situations.
The youth learned about the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the SAPO, the NACP, and the High Anti-Corruption Court, as well as how the principles of transparency and accountability can be implemented even at the university level.
The event culminated in a simulation game, “Change Starts with You,” in which students took on the roles of representatives of the university community, from students and faculty to administration. They were tasked with distributing a conditional “development grant” fairly and equitably, negotiating decisions, overcoming conflicts of interest, and seeking a common balance between benefit and principle.
This simulation helped participants experience how difficult it is to make ethical decisions in real life and understand that anti-corruption begins with personal responsibility.
The final stage was the author’s board game “University against Corruption”, created based on the famous game “Mafia”. Students played the roles of activists, teachers, students and officials, among whom were “corrupt people” who had to be exposed in order to “cleanse” the university of violations.
The game evoked lively emotions, team interaction, and showed how trust and transparency shape a healthy academic environment. Many students noted that the topic of anti-corruption is not only relevant, but also interesting, as it concerns everyone, from the session to future professional activities.
Participants expressed gratitude to the organizers for the dynamic learning format, practical tools, and the opportunity to share their own thoughts. As one of the students noted in the form of feedback: “I realized that corruption is not only about money, but about the choices of each of us. If we want change, we have to start with ourselves.”
The team plans to continue the educational initiative and conduct other activities so that more and more students can learn to combat corruption and build a culture of integrity.
