Latin America: Trade, Investment, and Strategic Outlook

We are pleased to invite you to an event dedicated to analyzing trade dynamics, investment flows, and economic relations between Latin America, Switzerland, and Europe.

This high-level forum will bring together distinguished representatives from academia, diplomacy, and the business community to engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange insights. The event offers a unique platform for students and professionals to gain a strategic understanding of current economic trends and explore potential future scenarios in the region.

Date: Monday, June 16th
Time: Starting at 18:00 CET
Venue: Silva Casa Auditorium, World Trade Institute, University of Bern

Register here

We look forward to your participation in this important conversation shaping the future of international economic cooperation. Learn more about the speakers below.

Dr. Rodrigo Polanco, WTI

Rodrigo Polanco is a senior lecturer, researcher, and academic coordinator of Master Programmes at the World Trade Institute (WTI), University of Bern, and a Legal Adviser for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking jurisdictions at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law. In addition, he is a lecturer at the University of Luzern and a visiting professor at the University of Chile, where he also is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Economic Law (Revista de Derecho Económico).

Rodrigo holds a Bachelor and a Master of Laws from Universidad de Chile, an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from New York University and a PhD in Law from the Uni­versity of Bern.

He has published extensively as an author and editor in leading international academic publishers and international journals on investment, trade, tax and environmental law. He is co-founder of the Electronic Database of Investment Treaties (EDIT).

Rodrigo coordinated the WTI/SECO Project, which supported regional competence centres for trade law and policy in Peru, South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia and Chile, and the SNIS Project “Diffusion of International Law: A Textual Analysis of International Investment Agreements”. In addition, he served as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Luzern (“The Governance of Big Data in Trade Agreements: Design, Diffusion and Implications – NFP 75”) and as an assistant professor and director of international affairs at the University of Chile’s Faculty of Law.

He is co-founder and member of the board of Fiscalía del Medio Ambiente (FIMA), a Chilean non-profit environmental organisation, serving at the editorial board of their environmental law journal (Justicia Ambiental).

Martina Bietenhader, SECO

Martina Bietenhader is an economist specialized in trade and economic development policy with experience at the intersection of the public and private sectors. She has worked in Swiss development cooperation (SDC), export and investment promotion at Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), and currently serves as an Advisor for bilateral economic relations with South and Central America at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Bruno Aloi, Switzerland Global Enterprise

Bachelor in International Business at the University of Salvador (Brazil), Master in International Management Consulting at the FH Ludwigshafen (Germany) and MBA in International Relations at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brazil). Bruno Aloi has 20 years experience in international promotion and business development. Brazilian with Italian roots, he has worked for different promotion agencies: State of Bahia (Brazil), Milan Chamber of Commerce and Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE); paving a solid career in export promotion and investment attraction. Currently, Mr. Aloi is Senior Consultant for South America at S-GE, responsible for supporting Swiss companies in those markets.

Daniel Otero, LATCAM Youth Committee

Daniel Otero holds a Master's degree in International Affairs and Governance, as well as a specialization in sustainability and development from the University of St.Gallen (HSG). He is co-founder and coordinator of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce Youth Committee in Switzerland, where he fosters relationships and exchange between Switzerland and Latin America. He has organized several events focused on entrepreneurship, impact investing and sustainability. He currently works as an external consultant for the Julius Baer Foundation. In 2016 he founded the startup “Tequila Journey” focused on tourism in Mexico.