The FORCE project – Forensic Accounting and Fraud in Contemporary Digital Environment has been completed. The initiative was implemented under the Erasmus Mundus Design Measures programme and led by Dr Małgorzata Kucharczyk and Dr Iwona Cieślak. FORCE was developed in response to the growing challenges posed by economic crime in the digital environment. The project’s aim was to design an innovative, integrated Joint Master’s Degree programme in forensic accounting and financial fraud prevention. The concept brings together accounting, law, and digital technologies, preparing future experts to detect, analyse, and prevent financial fraud across Europe.
The project was delivered by an international consortium of four universities:
- Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje – project coordinator (North Macedonia)
- University of Ljubljana – School of Economics and Business (Slovenia)
- University of Zagreb – Faculty of Economics and Business (Croatia)
- Kozminski University (Poland)
The proposed programme is intended to become the first in Europe to offer such a comprehensive master’s curriculum integrating forensic accounting, legal frameworks, and analytical and digital tools used in combating financial fraud. It represents an important step towards building competencies that help safeguard the integrity of the European Union’s financial systems and strengthen trust in public and private institutions.
The final consortium meeting took place at the end of 2025 in Skopje, North Macedonia, marking the culmination of intensive collaboration. The work included the harmonisation of academic structures, alignment of institutional policies, and the development of a coherent concept for a European study programme. During the two-day meeting, partners summarised the project outcomes, reviewed key documents, and discussed accreditation pathways as well as future opportunities for cooperation. Building on the results achieved, the consortium plans to launch the accreditation process and implement the programme as part of future Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters initiatives, paving the way for educating a new generation of specialists in forensic accounting and financial fraud prevention in the digital environment.
