UCC expert on corruption to train politicians in Kazakhstan

A leading Irish academic has moved from Pana to Astana to train future politicians and public servants in one of the world’s most corrupt countries.

The unusual transfer to Kazakhstan for Neil Collins comes after 12 years as head of University College Cork’s department of government, where his research established him as a leading expert on corruption in Irish politics.

After an approach earlier this year, he arrived in late October to head up the graduate school of public policy at Nazarbayev University in the capital Astana, which is only open a few years and has just over 1,000 students.