Illicit Trade

The Winter School is designed for students in their final year in their undergraduate studies, masters students, PhD students in Law, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Social Science and other relevant disciplines, who are interested in learning more about illicit trade. It is also addressed to professionals working in governmental institutions, local authorities, international and non-governmental organizations seeking to deepen their understanding of current illicit trade issues.

A very good working knowledge of English is required.

Applications from students who expect to graduate from their Bachelor’s studies at the end of the 2023/24 academic year will also be considered.

Upon attendance of all live webinars and completion of the course activities and assignments, participants will receive a United Nations and University of Groningen certificate of participation.

Upon successful completion of the programme, participants can apply for recognition of 3 ECTS to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. Participants who wish to fulfill the equivalent work of 3 ECTS will need to deliver a written assignment to the University of Groningen within one month after the end of the Winter School. More detailed information can be requested at illicittrade@rug.nl.

This course is delivered online. It combines live webinars in our virtual classroom, led by subject matter experts, with self-paced activities and interactive group discussions.

The live webinars are from 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm CET time (9:00 am – 1:00 pm EST), from Monday to Thursday. This is to create a 12-hours cycle during which participants and practitioners can attend the classes, plan their workload to a time that is most suitable, and interact with other participants to complete the assignments.

The live webinars are conducted on a dedicated online platform. Participants need a computer (recommended) or a mobile device with microphone, audio and video capabilities, as well as a reliable internet connection. We recommend accessing audio through the computer. No special software is required. Upon acceptance to the course, participants will be provided with the information to access the platform.

Dr. Francesco Giumelli

Francesco Giumelli holds a PhD from the University of Florence and is associate professor in the Department of International Relations and International Organization at the University of Groningen. He has been Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute and Fellow at the Kroc Institute of Notre Dame University. He wrote ‘Success of Sanctions: Lessons Learned from the Experience of the EU’ with Routledge/Ashgate, and ‘Coercing and Constraining and Signalling: Explaining UN and EU Sanctions after the Cold War’ with ECPR Press. He also authored reports for the European Union Institute for Security Studies and the European Policy Centre among others and gave talks at various international think tanks, such as Chatham House, the German Council on Foreign Relations and the Italian Institute for International Affairs.

Dr. Tim Wittig

Tim Wittig holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews, and is a research fellow at the University of Groningen. His research focuses on identifying and researching the social determinants of illicit trafficking, threat finance, and transnational organized crime, and how they intersect with other issues of international and environmental security. He is the author of numerous publications on these topics, including the book Understanding Terrorist Finance (Palgrave: 2011). In parallel to his academic work, Dr. Wittig has extensive experience as a practitioner, having worked for several years in the NGO sector on counter wildlife trafficking initiatives, in the defense/national security sector on counter threat finance and related issues, and as a consultant to public, private, and charitable sector clients. Prior to Groningen, Dr. Wittig has held a variety of university research and faculty positions, including at Johns Hopkins University, U.S. National Defense University, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of St Andrews.

Dr. Pim Geelhoed

Pim Geelhoed is Associate Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, holding a PhD in Criminal Law from Leiden University. He specializes in the Europeanisation of the criminal law field. Among his interests are international cooperation in criminal matters, prosecutorial decision-making, organised and financial crime, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. Alongside his position at the University of Groningen he is also a deputy appeals judge in the Court of Appeal of Arnhem-Leeuwarden. He is a member of the Meijers Committee, an NGO that puts issues such as transparency, fundamental rights and access to justice on the agenda of national and European lawmakers. During the winter school, Dr. Geelhoed will guide us through the legal trends when it comes to illicit trade and organized crime.

Deadline for application: 8 January 2023

We accept applications on a rolling basis, so make sure you sign up early on to secure a spot. Spots available are only 30.

Confirmation of acceptance: the results of the selection process will be communicated via email, within 2 weeks following receipt of the application.

Payment deadline: full payment has to be finalized within 1 week following confirmation of acceptance in order to successfully secure your spot.

Scholarship requirements

Available scholarships are 3, sponsored by Globalisation Studies Groningen (GSG) of the amount of Euros 500 each.

Eligible candidates must come from one of the following countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Congo (Rep.), Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Prince, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan (Rep.), Tanzania, TImor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia.

If you are from one of the above-mentioned countries and are interested in applying for a scholarship, in addition to the standard letter of motivation required for application, please add an additional statement of motivation (maximum 1 page) explaining your interest and merit in receiving the scholarship. The scholarship applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Cancellations and Refunds

In the case of cancellation of your participation, registration fees will not be refunded for any reason.

Given the current exceptional circumstances, however, full refund of the registration fees will be guaranteed should the cancellation be linked to the COVID-19 crisis (i.e. health problems of the participant or spouse/registered partner/children or parents). Evidence of such ground should be provided when requesting the refund.