Bridging Business and Policy: Addressing the Challenges of Strategic Corruption

A Workshop for Private Sector and Policymakers

The National Defense University, the Swedish Defense University, and the Stimson Center invite you to a workshop designed to address the complex challenges of strategic corruption through actionable, collaborative solutions. This workshop is designed to further develop the issues discussed at the “Countering Subversive Strategic Competition” (CSSC) at NDU’s College of Information and Cyberspace in September 2023.

Why Attend?

Engage with leading policymakers, industry experts, and academics to:

• Understand Global Threats: Explore tactics used by the PRC and Russian Federation.
• Develop Tactical Responses: Participate in an interactive table-top exercise using real-world case studies.
• Advance Research & Collaboration: Identify areas for further study and cooperative action.
• Build a Professional Network: Connect with peers to share experiences and inform future policy.
• Shape the Future: Compile best practices and develop actionable recommendations for countering strategic corruption.

Context and Urgency

Adversaries use corruption as a foreign and security policy tool to undermine the rule of law, weaken democratic institutions, and escalate global security challenges. Authoritarian regimes like Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) exploit financial and regulatory systems to enrich themselves, tighten control, and project power. By leveraging political connections or manipulating markets, these regimes gain unfair advantages over legitimate private sector companies in critical industries such as energy, telecommunications, transportation, and ports. This compromises national infrastructure, weakens defense capabilities, and jeopardizes sovereignty and stability. Strategic corruption has become a key instrument of statecraft, enabling authoritarian states to advance foreign policy objectives, facilitate illicit trade networks, and amplify anti-Western narratives. Combating this threat requires cross-sector collaboration, targeted policies, and proactive defense measures.

Program will include:

• Strategic Corruption and Challenges for the Private Sector
• Corruption and Strategic Competition with the PRC and Russia
• Lawfare and Legal Tools to Counter Strategic Corruption
• Interactive Workshop on Best Practices in Combatting Strategic Corruption

This workshop will be co-hosted by:

• Ambassador Roxanne Cabral, Senior Vice President, National Defense University
• Lars Hedström, Director, Strategic Implications and Innovation Center, Swedish Defense University
• Mathew Burrows, Counselor, the Stimson Center

The workshop is sponsored by the National Defense University Foundation.

More information about the event

Date: Mar 05, 2025

Time: 8:00 AM—5:00 PM

Location: Stimson Center, Washington, DC