How TI Ukraine and the Basel Institute on Governance Train Professionals for the Anti-Corruption Sector

Transparency International Ukraine and the Basel Institute on Governance have completed a five-month internship program for young professionals. The program focused on real, hands-on experience in the anti-corruption field rather than theory.

Of the 16 interns who started, 9 completed the full five months, and 4 of them will stay on with our organizations as full team members. The program was supported by the Principality of Liechtenstein.

What makes the program valuable

Internships often come down to minor errands and dull, mechanical work. TI Ukraine does it differently: from week one, interns take on the same tasks as the rest of the team.

For example, they monitored HACC cases, analyzed Ukrainian and European legislation, studied the anti-corruption systems of EU member states, worked with public procurement data, helped develop new tools for researching city transparency, and created plenty of content for our social media.

We help young people launch their careers even without prior experience. All it takes is a willingness to learn and to dig into unfamiliar subjects. 

During the program, interns also gain their first practical skills and results, which they can build on as they move ahead in their careers. Employers value this experience. Program graduates often stay with TI Ukraine, and they also receive job offers from the High Anti-Corruption Court, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the Economic Security Bureau, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, civil society organizations, and others.

Why it’s more than just an internship for TI Ukraine 

For TI Ukraine, the internship program is systematic work, not a one-off project. We are preparing people who will enter the anti-corruption sector already knowing how it works from the inside. Some of them stay with the team: four new professionals joined after the previous program and three this year, and one more intern stayed on at the Basel Institute on Governance, the program’s partner.

Each intern works with a mentor who sets tasks, explains the context, and gives feedback. We regularly evaluate the program and gather feedback from interns and mentors, which helps us keep improving our processes and achieve better results together.

“For our organization, training young professionals is systematic work: this year’s program was already our third. As an employer, we strive to give young people in Ukraine opportunities to develop and advance in their careers. It’s especially important to us that their experience strengthens the anti-corruption sector,” says Anastasiia Mazurok, COO of Transparency International Ukraine.

Study trip to Liechtenstein and Switzerland

The five-month internship program ended with a study visit to Liechtenstein and Switzerland. There, the interns learned how European anti-corruption mechanisms work and discussed which of these practices could be applied in Ukraine.

In Liechtenstein, the participants met with Deputy Prime Minister Sabine Monauni and discussed the situation with anti-corruption policy in Ukraine. They learned how the country’s courts, police, and government bodies fight corruption and how its anti-money laundering tools work, including in the crypto sector. Experts from the Liechtenstein Bankers Association and three leading financial institutions spoke about compliance, fraud prevention, and the sector’s role in detecting corruption offenses.

At the Basel Institute on Governance, the interns got to know the institute’s team and its key areas of work. They learned how an international anti-corruption organization operates, what it has achieved, and what challenges it faces. Experience gained during the internship can also open the door to international organizations. Some of the institute’s approaches could also be adapted for Ukraine, including asset recovery, international advocacy, and countering corruption in the private sector and in the environmental sphere.

What the interns say about the program

At the end of the program, we asked the interns to share their impressions. Here’s what they told us:

“You can get into the internship program even without work experience, which is really valuable for students just starting out. You genuinely gain practical knowledge here and get to take part in anti-corruption work. And your mentor helps you settle in, guides you, and supports you throughout the internship.”

“It’s a really great experience working with an incredible team that shares its knowledge and challenges you with complex tasks, not the easy mechanical stuff you often get at other internships.”

“I was surprised by how much attention goes to interns and their development. You can tell the program wasn’t created just to tick a box.”

“The tasks here are interesting and far from routine, and they’re tied to your specialization. There’s a great team you can turn to for advice, and regular volleyball too.”

The internship program is implemented by Transparency International Ukraine together with the Basel Institute on Governance, with support from the Principality of Liechtenstein.