Hills Program on Governance

Developing an actionable agenda that promotes good governance at the intersection of the private and public sectors, confronting corruption, and encouraging accountability.

“The best way to end corruption is to first examine its underlying causes.” - from the 2009 Grawemeyer award citation for Michael Johnston

The objective of the Hills program is to identify serious governance problems, develop a better understanding of the corrupting influences that create such problems, and organize efforts to reduce those influences. The program operates out of 7 Centers at academic institutions in Asia, Latin America and Africa as well at CSIS in Washington DC. For more information see the Objectives of the Program on Governance.

Recent and Upcoming Events

On October 5, 2011, the Hills Program sponsored a book launch of Political and Social Foundations for Reform: Anti-Corruption Strategies for the Philippines by Colgate University Professor Michael Johnston. Ambassador of the Philippines Jose Cuisia Jr. and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, commented on the book. The book is based on a research project co-sponsored by the Asian Institute of Management-Hills Governance Center, the Hills Program at CSIS, and The Asia Foundation.
On September 28 2011, the Hills Program sponsored a book launch of Capitalism at Risk: Rethinking the Role of Business by Joseph L. Bower, Lynne S. Paine, and Herman B. Leonard, all of the Harvard
Business School. William Donaldson (former Chairman of the SEC and the NY Stock Exchange) and Nell Minow (former Chair of the Corporate Library) commented on the book and the authors responded. The lively discussion was moderated by Terry Smith (Special Correspondent for the NewsHour).
On April 5-6 2011, the Hills Program co-sponsored (with the Starr Foundation and the Wharton School of Business) a workshop on the Governance of Climate Change: Prospects for a Regional Initiative. The workshop, in Beijing, brought together Chinese, American, South Korean, Filipino, and Indonesian experts to consider a draft plan. Dr. Han Seung-soo, former prime minister of South Korea and Chairman of the Global Green Growth Initiative, gave the keynote address. A report of the workshop is expected to be released before June.
On October 11-12 , 2010, in advance of the G-20 Seoul Summit, the Hills Governance Center at Yonsei University, in collaboration with the ASAN Institute for Policy Studies (AIPS), hosted an international conference, “G20 and Global Governance Reform.” The Conference Proceedings and the Conference Report provide in depth analyses of issues pertaining to the proper place and role of the G20 in the emerging global governance system.
Over the weekend of August 28, 2010, the Asian Institute of Management-Hills Governance Center co-sponsored a one-day anti-corruption strategy session with members of newly elected President Aquino’s cabinet and senior advisors. The session was based on a book by Professor Michael Johnston, a member of the Governance Program’s Academic Council. Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, Florencio B. (“Butch”) Abad, spoke at a public launch of the book, thanking both the AIM-Hills Center and Professor Johnston for their contributions to the reduction of corruption in the Philippines.
On April 30, the Hills Program, in partnership with the Zicklin Center of the Wharton School and the World Bank Institute, co-sponsored a day-long workshop on Fraud in the Carbon Trading Markets.
On March 31, the Hills Program on Governance together with The American Assembly and The Institute of International Finance co-sponsored a panel discussion on the Governance of Financial Institutions and released a report. Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Paul Volcker, provided the keynote speech for the panel discussion. .
The Hills program completed a multi-year study on China's governance problems. The study, enabled by a grant from the Stuart Family Foundation, created a objective index for measuring corruption in local government bodies, and developed case studies covering corruption investigations in China.
The Hills Governance Center at Yonsei in, Korea celebrated its 6th Anniversary with a seminar on "World Economy after the London G20: Recovery, Trade and Governance". Rod Hills spoke on the occasion about how the financial crisis had transformed global corporate governance.