Interested in broadening your knowledge of issues related to international law and economics? Our Winter and Summer Academies in Bern can be taken à la carte on a weekly basis or with the aim of obtaining a certificate or diploma. We also offer a Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy in Delhi with the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. See below for details.
Winter Academy, Summer Academy, and more
Choose from a range of short-term study options
Winter and Summer Academy
The Summer Academy at WTI has it all - academic rigour, inspiring lecturers... and fellow participants who add both to the fun and your network.
Ingrid E. Persson, Manager Government Affairs International Trade and Customs, Nike
The WTI Winter and Summer Academies cover cutting-edge issues in trade and investment law and policy. They are designed for private and public sector and civil society professionals as well as higher-education students. In lectures, discussions and case studies, renowned experts will teach you how to blend the policy aspects of trade and investment with thorough legal interpretation and economic analysis. By becoming a part of the WTI community, you will establish valuable contacts with fellow-minded professionals and lecturers.
Winter and Summer Academy modules can be taken individually on an à la carte basis. Students who take multiple courses in the Winter or Summer Academy can become eligible for a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) or a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in International Law and Economics. Visit our CAS / DAS Programmes page to learn more.
Are you a graduate of our MILE or TRAIL+ programmes? If so, you qualify for a 50% discount on the week-long courses offered in our Winter and Summer Academies. In your application, please indicate that you are a MILE or TRAIL+ alumna/alumnus.
Winter Academy 2023
23 January - 16 February 2023
Courses:
Week 1 | WTO Law on Border Measures and Trade Facilitation
23 – 27 January 2023 (Take-home assessment on 28 January)
Monday – Friday 10 am – 3 pm (Central European time)
Lecturers: Roy Santana and Sara Núñez-Évora
ECTS: 3
Syllabus here
Week 2 | WTO Law on Anti-Dumping and Safeguard Measures
30 January – 3 February 2023 (Take-home assessment on 4 February)
Monday – Friday 10 am – 3 pm (Central European time)
Lecturers: Fernando Piérola and Edwin Vermulst
ECTS: 3
Syllabus here
Week 3 | WTO Law on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
6 - 9 February 2023 (Take-home assessment on 10 February)
Monday – Thursday 9 am – 4 pm (Central European time)
Lecturers: James Flett and Luca Rubini
ECTS: 3
Syllabus here
Week 4 | The Law and Policy of Trade in Services
13 - 16 February 2023 (Take-home assessment on 17 February)
Monday – Thursday 9 am – 4 pm (Central European time)
Lecturers: Pierre Sauvé and Jan Bohanes
ECTS: 3
Syllabus here
Visit our CAS / DAS Programmes page to learn how you can apply these courses towards a certificate or diploma.
Summer Academy 2023
12 June - 28 July 2023
Foundations of Trade Policy and Trade Policy Data
12-16 June 2023
Lecturers: Achim Vogt and Selina Hauser
Description: This course presents the theory of trade policy instruments (tariffs, preferential trade agreements, non-tariff measures, trade facilitation) and introduces the students to the use of the main international datasets covering those policy instruments.
ECTS: 3
Econometric Analysis of Trade Policy
19-23 June 2023
Lecturers: Joseph Francois, Octavio Fernández-Amador, Achim Vogt and Irene Garcés Iriarte
Description: This course presents the main econometric framework to perform ex-post analysis of trade policies: the structural gravity model of trade. This model predicts bilateral trade flows based on size and distance between exporter and importer units, e.g. geographical, cultural and policy-related barriers to trade. The students are also introduced to the management of bilateral trade data and the main gravity variables.
ECTS: 3
Input-Output and Applied General Equilibrium Models
26-30 June 2023
Lecturers: Patrick Tomberger
Description: This course shows the use of input-output tables and social accounting matrices, which constitute the data basis for applied general equilibrium models. After that, students are introduced to the basics of computable general equilibrium models.
ECTS: 3
International Contracts Regarding Cross-Borders Trade and Investment
3-7 July 2023
Lecturers: Reka Papp and Benjamin Gottlieb
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
Technical Barriers to Trade in Pursuit of Sustainable Development
3-7 July 2023
Lecturers: Christian Häberli and Arthur Appleton
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
Challenges to International Climate Governance
10-14 July 2023
Lecturers: TBC
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
Non-Trade Concerns in International Trade: Public Health and Labour Standards
10-14 July 2023
Lecturers: Antony Taubman and Damien Raess
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
International Law and Policy Options for Climate Mitigation
17-21 July 2023
Lecturers: Nicolas Lockhart and Dominic Coppens
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
International Investment Law and Sustainable Development
17-21 July 2023
Lecturers: Marie-Clare Cordonier and Markus Gehring
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
International Energy Law and Governance
24-28 July 2023
Lecturers: Anna-Alexandra Marhold
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
Intellectual Property Law and Technology Transfer
24-28 July 2023
Lecturers: Thomas Cottier and TBC
Description: (coming soon)
ECTS: 3
IMPORTANT
- All courses are 4 full days + take-home assignment
- All courses are offered in hybrid format
APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ADVANCED STUDIES (CAS)
This summer we will offer three different Certificates of Advanced Studies (CAS):
- CAS on Applied Trade Policy Modeling (TRADEMOD) - 12-30 June 2023
- CAS on International Climate Governance (CLIMGOV) - 10-28 July 2023
- CAS on Trade, Investment and Sustainable Development (TRADESUS) - 3-21 July 2023
Visit our CAS / DAS Programmes page to learn how you can apply Summer Academy courses towards a certificate.
You also have the option to replace one of the CAS courses with another course offered during the Summer Academy.
The CAS Programme can be spread over time (i.e., you do not necessarily need to take all three courses in the 2023 Summer Academy but they need to be completed within 2 years).
International Bachelor Summer School for Climate Change Research
Confronting Climate Change – from Science to Policy
The third International Bachelor Summer School for Climate Change Research, co-organised by the WTI and the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR), will take place from 8 – 19 August 2022.
Keynote Lecturers
Thomas Stocker, Olivia Romppainen-Martius, Joseph Francois, Karin Ingold, Ralph Winkler, Manfred Elsig, Peter Van den Bossche, Jörg Franke, Christoph Raible, et al.
Venue
University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Fees
Early bird registration 500 CHF, regular registration 550 CHF
The registration fee includes course participation, the field trip to the Aletsch Glacier, an “icebreaker” and final drinks reception, supervision and materials. Accommodation (additional): 410 CHF
Registration deadline
Early bird 17 April 2022, regular deadline 15 May 2022
Further information
http://oeschger.unibe.ch/ibss and here.
Admission
Requirements
We accept individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree in law, economics or political science, or in an unrelated field supplemented by relevant working experience. Participants are expected to have a strong command of English and should be ready to read a large amount of material in English both prior to and during both the Winter Academy and Summer Academy.
How to apply
Applying to the Winter or Summer Academy is straightforward:
- Consult the course offerings above and choose the courses you wish to follow.
- Fill out the online application form.
Deadline
Applications are accepted until the maximum number of participants per week is reached.
Cancellation policy
The following deadlines and penalties apply for persons who apply and have been accepted to the programme, but who subsequently withdraw:
- Cancellations 8 weeks before the course: the WTI refunds the tuition fee but deducts a 100 Swiss franc administration fee
- Cancellations 4 weeks before the course: the WTI refunds 70% of tuition fee
- Cancellations 2 weeks before the course: the WTI refunds 50% of tuition fee
- No show = no refund
Tuition fees
The tuition fee is due upon acceptance to the programme and must be made in Swiss francs. Information on courses will not be provided until the tuition fee has been paid.
The Winter and Summer Academy tuition fees do not cover costs such as meals, housing or local transportation.
Fee structure: Winter Academy and Summer Academy
- Tuition for one course is 1,200 Swiss francs
- Tuition for two courses is 2,200 Swiss francs
- Tuition for three courses is 3,200 Swiss francs
- Tuition for four courses is 4,200 Swiss francs
- Tuition for five courses is 5,200 Swiss francs
- Tuition for six courses is 6,200 Swiss francs
Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance upon completion of each course. A mimum attendance rate of 80% is required to obtain a Certificate.
Financial aid
Master's students registered at the University of Bern who wish to audit (without obtaining credits), can take Winter and Summer Academy courses for free. For Master's students who wish to obtain ECTS credits special rates apply. All University of Bern students who register need to provide a confirmation of matriculation at the University of Bern.
A 50% tuition waiver is applicable to participants affiliated with the UNCTAD Virtual Institute (staff and students of university and think tank members, with proof of institutional affiliation and/or registration). This discount is only available for participants from lower-middle income and low income countries and cannot be combined with other discounts. For detailed information, please visit the UNCTAD VI website.
The winning team in the Final Oral Round of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition are awarded a tuition fee waiver for two weeks of the Winter or Summer Academy. The winning team in any of the Regional Rounds of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition are awarded a tuition fee waiver for one week of the Winter or Summer Academy.
If you are a Bulgarian national, you are eligible for the exclusive financial support of the Fonds Katzarovi, specially designed for Graduate and PostGraduate studies in Switzerland. Deadline 15 March. More info here.
In all other cases, the WTI does not offer tuition waivers for the Winter and Summer Academies. Financial aid, if needed, should be requested from other organisations or institutions.
General information
Accommodation
Due to the high prices of hotel accommodation in Bern, it is highly recommended that you rent a room (double or single) in one of the student residences run by the Bernese Student Lodging Association. Please note that the WTI is not in a position to guarantee accommodation in Bern and cannot rent an apartment or other accommodation for you.
Important IT information
Participants registered for the Winter and/or Summer Academy will have login information for the University of Bern/World Trade Institute online course management system sent to them via email in December and June respectively. With this login information, participants will have access to the course syllabi and readings.
Visas
Students need to apply for a visa at the Swiss embassy or consulate in their home country. The visa application process should be started as early as possible, as it can take several weeks for the Swiss immigration office to correspond with its Swiss embassies abroad. Citizens from EU and EEA countries do not require a visa.
Joint Academy in India
The Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy run by the WTI and the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is held annually in Delhi. It was established in 2014 to provide law students and legal professionals in India with an opportunity to increase their knowledge of trade regulation and governance issues.
The 2022 WTI-CWS Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy will be held online from 6 June – 1 July 2022.
Week 1 (6 –11 June 2022)
Essentials of WTO Law and Policy
Lecturer: Prof. Peter Van den Bossche (World Trade Institute, Bern)
Investment Law
Lecturers: Prof. Krista Nadakavukaren Schefer (Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, Lausanne) and Prof. Prabhash Ranjan (Jindal Global Law School, Delhi)
Week 2 (13–17 June 2022)
Trade and IPR
Lecturers: Prof. Henning Grosse Ruse-Khan (University of Cambridge) and Ms. Chandni Raina (Department of Economic Affairs, India)
Trade in Services
Lecturers: Mr Jan Bohanes (Advisory Centre on WTO Law, Geneva) and Ms Sonia Pant (Indian Economic Service, Delhi)
Week 3 (20–24 June 2022)
SPS and TBT
Lecturer: Dr Arthur Appleton (Appleton Luff International Lawyers, Geneva)
Agreement on Agriculture
Lecturers: Prof. Abhijit Das (Centre for WTO Studies, Delhi) and Ms. Anuradha R.V. (Clarus Law Associates, Delhi)
Week 4 (27 June–1 July 2022)
The Law & Policy of Trade Remedies
Lecturers: Mr Edwin Vermulst (VVGB Advocaten, Brussels) and Prof. Mukesh Bhatnagar (Centre for WTO Studies, Delhi)
Foreign Subsidies
Lecturer: Prof. James Nedumpara (Centre for Trade and Investment Law) – 1 session
Trade and Sustainability – 1 session [TBC]
Trade and Gender + Trade and MSMEs – 1 session [TBC]
Electronic Commerce
Lecturers: Prof. Abhijit Das and Ms Shailja Singh (Center for WTO Studies, Delhi) – 3 sessions
Feedback and Closing