BU Law Launches New Partnership with Qatar University College of Law to Combat Terrorist Financing
Participants from Qatar’s government, legal, and financial sectors will study fundamentals of counter-terrorist financing with leading experts, including current and former senior US government officials.
Boston, MA—On Monday, April 22, Boston University School of Law will launch an intensive one-week course on counter-terrorist financing in collaboration with Qatar University College of Law, a program announced in October 2018. It is a first-of-its-kind partnership between law schools to combat the global threat of terrorist financing.
Last month, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution “naming terrorist financing a serious crime and demanding that all countries set up a domestic legal framework to counter the practice,” according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. “The resolution also calls for countries to establish terror financing intelligence units to track and exchange information.”
The program’s inaugural course, which includes eleven representatives of Qatar’s government, legal, and financial sectors, will prepare participants to implement tactics in response to the threats outlined in the UN resolution. Topics include securing financial systems against cyber attacks, the illicit use of cryptocurrencies, and diplomacy as a tool to counter terrorist financing, among others.
Michael B. Greenwald (’10), a BU Law alumnus and former US Treasury attaché to Qatar and Kuwait, is credited with brokering the partnership. “This unique partnership between Boston University School of Law and Qatar University College of Law underscores the importance of close collaboration in the fight against terrorist financing. We look forward to working closely with our Qatari counterparts on this vital national security issue.”
In addition to faculty experts from BU Law and other Boston University schools, the program’s instructors include current and former senior US government officials with deep expertise in combating terrorist financing.
- Andrea Gacki, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, US Department of the Treasury
- Michael Madon, former deputy assistant secretary, US Department of the Treasury
- Adam Isles, former deputy chief of staff, US Department of Homeland Security
- Jason Blazakis, former director of the Office of Counterterrorism Finance & Designations, Bureau of Counterterrorism, US Department of State
- Debra LePrevotte, former supervisory special agent, FBI International Corruption Unit
- Kate Eyerman, former director of the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, Middle East/North Africa, US Department of the Treasury
Ultimately, partnerships such as the one between BU Law and Qatar University College of Law may serve as one important element of a comprehensive plan to combat terrorism. “The global threat from terrorist financing is escalating rapidly, particularly as new tools and technologies emerge that may be used for illicit means,” says Angela Onwuachi-Willig, dean and professor of law. “No one nation alone can stop the flow of funds to terrorist groups. An effective solution will require collaboration with others around the world, and partnerships between academic institutions provide an appropriate forum to share knowledge and expertise.”
Boston University School of Law has a long track record of developing customized academic, professional, and executive programs to meet specific needs. In addition to the counter-terrorist financing program, other recent initiatives include a judicial workshop on US bankruptcy law for 36 judges from Thailand and a workshop on American business law for Chinese students in partnership with the US-China Legal Exchange Foundation.
The counter-terrorist financing program’s first intensive one-week course will conclude on April 26. Plans for future sessions are in development, and other potential elements of the partnership are under consideration.
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