Shaping the Fight Against Transnational Crime—From Toronto to Vienna

It started with a capstone course and a research project on cannabis legalization. Now, it’s become a full-blown international partnership tackling some of the world’s most complex criminal threats.

The Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy has officially joined forces with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), a Geneva-based civil society organization whose expert membership works on the front lines of security issues like drug trafficking, gang violence, and sanctions evasion. What began as a classroom collaboration has grown into a partnership that spans continents and gives Munk students an unprecedented window into global policy in action.

From Capstone to Global Platform

The relationship was first forged in 2023 through the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CEES), a key hub within the Munk School. Professor Robert Austin served as the initial link between the two institutions.

“The collaboration started organically,” Austin, who is also the Associate Director of CEES, explains. “We had shared interests, strong faculty-student momentum, and a clear opportunity to engage our students in really impactful research. It grew from there.”

That same year, GI-TOC worked with students in Lecturer Benoît Gomis’s Capstone Seminar on research around cannabis policy. Gomis, as part of GI-TOC’s network of experts, engaged students with his expertise on illicit trade, helping to shape the early stages of the first collaboration between the Munk School and GI-TOC.

Fast forward to 2024, and the two organizations launched the North America Strategic Platform on Organized Crime—a joint initiative designed to bring fresh thinking and evidence-based strategies to crime and security challenges in the region. The Platform doesn’t just generate ideas; it hosts public events, supports research, and brings key players — academics, policymakers, civil society — into the same room.

“We’ve already had major events on gang violence in Haiti and fentanyl trafficking at the U.S.-Canada border,” says Patrícia Neves, who helps coordinate the partnership from GI-TOC’s side.

Tensions between the US and Canada on the connection between trade and security have emphasized the importance of the Platform’s work. In April, some of the most prominent experts and law enforcement professionals in the area of fentanyl trafficking in North America gathered for a high-level discussion on evidence-based solutions and challenges in their specific fields. The in-person event signalled the collaborative power of Munk and GI-TOC to bring together some of the foremost experts on pressing security matters.

Student Research at the Fore

One of the partnership's most exciting aspects is what it offers students. Internships, real-world research, and capstone projects are just the beginning.

“Munk students have joined summer internships at the GI-TOC’s Vienna office, gaining practical experience with our global policy and research work,” said Neves. “And through the Capstone Seminar, second-year Masters’ students have contributed directly to the GI-TOC’s research, completing four projects to date on topics ranging from outlaw motorcycle gangs to cryptocurrency and sanctions evasion.”

The partnership isn’t just checking boxes for student experience, it’s actively shaping career paths and helping GI-TOC benefit from fresh perspectives.

The collaboration is also helping students see how academic theory connects with high-stakes international challenges — and how their work can directly influence policy debates.

Looking Ahead

The partnership works, in large part, because of a shared set of values. Both the Munk School and GI-TOC are driven by the belief that academic research and public policy don’t have to live in separate worlds.

“The Munk School is a place where students and faculty see their ideas turn into action,” says Austin. “And GI-TOC brings real-world urgency and expertise. It’s a natural match.”

The collaboration has been strengthened by institutional ties: Jason Eligh, a senior expert at GI-TOC, has been appointed Senior Fellow at Munk, and GI-TOC’s executive team — including Mark Shaw and Tuesday Reitano — has made multiple visits to the school for strategy meetings with Director Janice Stein.

With strong momentum behind it, the partnership is focused on building further connections between students, scholars, and decision-makers.

“The broader aim of the GI-TOC–Munk partnership is to foster innovation and impact in addressing organized crime in North America and beyond, through research, engagement, and education,” said Neves. “The North America Strategic Platform on Organized Crime is a key vehicle for achieving this vision, bridging the gap between academic research and actionable policy.”

As the global crime landscape continues to evolve, this partnership is helping forge connections between policy experts across North America and prepare the next generation to respond with intelligence, creativity, and collaboration.

“By connecting students, practitioners, and decision-makers, the partnership strengthens Canada’s and North America’s ability to respond to contemporary threats like fentanyl trafficking, gang violence, and geo-criminality,” Neves added, “while simultaneously equipping the next generation of global leaders with the skills and insights needed to navigate these challenges.”