SOCI8043
Contemporary Anti-Corruption in a Globalized World: The Hong Kong Experience
Offer semester
Lecture time
Lecture venue
Credits awarded
2nd semester
Wednesday
19:00-21:50
CBC
6
Corruption undermines public trust, distorts markets, and erodes the rule of law. Yet its causes, forms, and consequences vary enormously across institutions, industries, and societies. This course takes Hong Kong as both a case study and a vantage point to examine corruption and anti-corruption in a globalized world.
Taught jointly by HKU academic staff and practitioner experts from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the course weaves together social-scientific theory and real-world enforcement and prevention practice. It pairs conceptual and theoretical introduction from the HKU instructor with direct practitioner input from ICAC officers, who draw on decades of experience in investigation, corruption prevention, and community education, and in specific regulated sectors.
The course is structured in three parts: (1) foundational theories of corruption and anti-corruption; (2) Hong Kong's three-pronged model in practice; and (3) corruption and anti-corruption in the Chinese mainland and the transnational arena. The course will consist of a series of lectures, which will involve a mixture of teaching and class discussion. In addition, through two visits to ICAC Headquarters, students will gain an immersive understanding of the Commission’s history and investigative work — from a guided tour of the Exhibition Hall and key operational facilities to a hands-on simulated corruption investigation that brings the realities of the profession to life.
Students who attend this course will receive a signed Certificate of Attendance from the ICAC, providing a tangible credential for future careers in compliance, law enforcement, public administration, and civil society.
Identify and critically evaluate major theories and concepts used to explain corruption, anti-corruption, and institutional integrity across different social, economic, and political contexts.
Describe and assess Hong Kong’s three-pronged anti-corruption strategy (enforcement, prevention, and community education) and situate it within comparative international frameworks.
Apply theoretical frameworks to analyse concrete cases of public and private sector corruption, drawing connections between organizational, cultural, and structural factors.
Evaluate the design and effectiveness of anti-corruption strategies in regulated industries such as banking and insurance, as well as in public governance.
Understand the transnational dimensions of corruption, including cross-border enforcement cooperation, international anti-corruption conventions, and the role of global compliance frameworks.
Produce well-structured academic writing on the criminological analysis of corruption and anti-corruption issues, demonstrating the ability to construct evidence-based arguments, engage critically with relevant scholarship, and apply theoretical concepts to empirical cases.
Tasks
Weighting
Group Presentation
30%
Term Paper
30%
In-Class Examination
40%
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Wang, E. H. (2022). Frightened mandarins: The adverse effects of fighting corruption on local bureaucracy. Comparative Political Studies, 55(11), 1807–1843.
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Offer Semester | Lecture Day | Lecture Time | Venue | Credits awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2nd semester | Wednesday | 19:00-21:50 | CBC | 6 |
