Author. Professor. Anti-Corruption Pioneer.
Rethinking governance, development, and education — from Harvard to Bhutan, with solutions, without sanctimony.
Recipient of the International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award 2024 · University Professor, Claremont Graduate University · Author of 16 books translated into 18 languages
What I Do
Research & Writing
Sixteen books — translated into 18 languages — on corruption, governance, international development, education, and the emerging role of generative AI in public life. Including Controlling Corruption, which helped launch the global anti-corruption movement, and Tropical Gangsters, named one of The New York Times‘ Books of the Century.
Teaching & Workshops
University Professor at Claremont Graduate University, teaching economics, policy design, and transdisciplinary courses on AI, culture, and collaboration. Hands-on convenings for governments, international organisations, and institutions worldwide — bringing data, models, and success stories to leaders who need practical solutions.
Generative AI
Since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, Bob has been at the frontier of applying generative AI in education, government, and research. Three recent books — Graduate School & GenAI, ChatGPT in Education, and Co-Intelligence Applied — demonstrate the transformative potential. He leads workshops globally on how AI can accelerate governance and development.
About Bob
Robert Klitgaard is a University Professor at Claremont Graduate University, where he served as President from 2005–9. He has held positions at Harvard, Yale, Oxford, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He received his BA, MPP, and PhD from Harvard.
In 2025, ScholarGPS ranked him among the top 50 scholars in the world in three fields: corruption, policy analysis, and exploratory data analysis.
Featured Books
Recent work at the frontier of AI, governance, and education
Co-Intelligence Applied
2024
How AI can accelerate development, governance, and public-sector reform.
Controlling Corruption
1988
The foundational text on diagnosing and combating corruption — still in print, still cited worldwide.
Watch
A lecture on corruption, governance, and practical solutions — illustrating Bob’s “convening” approach
Get in Touch
For speaking engagements, please contact Raleigh Addington at Chartwell Speakers:
raleigh@chartwellspeakers.com
For all other enquiries: