What is the ECGC?

The Economic Crime & Geopolitical Centre (ECGC), established under the South Asia Foresight Network, is a pioneering initiative focused on the evolving challenges at the intersection of economic crime and global geopolitics. As a dedicated research and policy hub, the ECGC aims to provide innovative insights and actionable strategies to combat economic crimes that undermine economic stability, security, and sustainable development in South Asia and beyond.

Why does it matter?

Economic crime—including corruption, money laundering, illicit trade, and financial fraud—poses a serious threat to state stability and regional security. In South and Southeast Asia, these activities intersect directly with geopolitics, shaping strategic competition, foreign investment, and governance outcomes.

Uprisings in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indonesia illustrate how systemic corruption and poor governance can destabilize governments, provoke popular unrest, and reshape regional alignments. Meanwhile, many other nations continue to struggle with corruption-driven governance challenges that weaken democratic and security institutions. These examples underscore the urgent need for focused research and coordinated policy responses at the intersection of economic crime and geopolitics.

Despite the magnitude of the threat, institutional efforts remain fragmented, often overlooking the transnational nature of illicit flows and their geopolitical consequences. The Economic Crime and Geopolitics Center (ECGC) aims to bridge this gap, collaborating with regional and global think tanks, universities, and leading economic crime forums to advance research, foresight, and policy innovation. ECGC is among the first global initiatives dedicated to examining the intersection of economic crime and geopolitics.

Our Mission

The ECGC will act as a regional and international hub for research, foresight, and policy innovation, examining how economic crime affects governance, weakens democratic resilience, and shapes geopolitical competition across South and Southeast Asia, while promoting strategies for regional stability.

Our Leadership

The Center will be headquartered in Washington, D.C., under the South Asia Foresight Network (SAFN) in partnership with the Millennium Project USA. It will be spearheaded by the Executive Director of SAFN Asanga Abeyagoonasekera alongside a network of leading regional scholars in economic crime and geopolitics, ensuring both global reach and local expertise.