Public service employees must avoid any appearance of being susceptible to personal gain in the course of their official duties. Preventing corruption is in the common interest of all staff at Bielefeld University. Preventing and combating corruption is an important task for Bielefeld University. Corruption in the context of public universities is understood to mean the abuse of a position of trust in a function of research, teaching or university administration in order to obtain a material advantage or immaterial benefit for oneself or a third party to which there is no legal entitlement. Corruption does not only include obvious cases of bribery. However, according to the usual definition, it also includes invitations and small tokens of appreciation, as these can also create dependencies.
The guideline for the prevention and avoidance of corruption at Bielefeld University is intended to help raise awareness among all staff, make them aware of the personal dangers and consequences of corrupt behaviour and, in particular, provide them with rules of conduct to avoid corruption. The guideline also serves to implement the legal requirements of the Anti-Corruption Act and the Ministry of the Interior's Circular on Preventing and Combating Corruption in Public Administration, according to which the university must adopt suitable regulations to prevent corruption.
Anti-corruption officer
Effective corruption prevention requires a point of contact where employees can report any concerns or even suspicions of corruption - confidentially and without disclosing their name - without having to go through official channels. An Anti-Corruption Officer has therefore been appointed by the Chancellor. She acts as a neutral point of contact for questions relating to corruption. The Anti-Corruption Officer follows up on information regarding suspected corruption and, in agreement with the university management, initiates further steps if necessary.