The RESPOND project is hosting its first public event titled “How to Tackle Political Corruption in Digital Societies” on May 22, 2024, from 01:00 to 15:00. The event, held both online and in Bologna at the Ulisse Room, Accademia delle Scienze, will officially launch the project “RESPOND – Rescuing Democracy from Political Corruption in Digital Societies”. This initiative, led by the University of Bologna, aims to address issues of political corruption and trust in democratic institutions, with a focus on the impact of digital societies.

The event will begin with a Welcome Address by Alice Mattoni, the Scientific Coordinator of the RESPOND project, and Francesco Moro, Head of the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna. The central part of the event will be a roundtable discussion titled “Political Corruption and Trust in Democracy: Taking Stocks and Highlighting Gaps”, featuring prominent scholars from institutions such as the Central European University, University of Lisbon, University of Amsterdam, and University of Bologna. The roundtable, chaired by Alessandra Lo Piccolo, will explore gaps in current research on political corruption.

The event will close with a session led by Alice Mattoni, titled “Ways Forward on Political Corruption and Trust in Democracy Through the RESPOND Project,” where she will introduce the five-year RESPOND project, which involves a consortium of 17 partners.

The featured speakers are experts in fields such as corruption, transparency, public policy, and democracy, including Mihály Fazekas, Luis de Sousa, Pedro Magalhães, Sofia Wickberg, and Fernanda Odilla. They bring diverse expertise from institutions like Central European University, University of Lisbon, and University of Amsterdam, and are engaged with leading anti-corruption organizations and projects globally.