Trade builds on the common pursuit of peace

The World Trade Institute at the University of Bern is proud to congratulate our students, Paul Rit and Li-Chen (Ken) Cheng, on reaching the final of the Geneva Debate. Their achievement highlights both their individual excellence and the strength of WTI’s academic community in fostering rigorous, policy-relevant debate.

The Geneva Debate provides a unique forum for students to engage with leading practitioners and scholars on some of the most pressing questions in global trade. This year’s motion, examining the relationship between trade interdependence and peace, required participants to grapple with complex economic, legal, and geopolitical dynamics before an expert jury and a distinguished audience.

Reflecting on the experience, Paul Rit emphasized the exceptional learning opportunity the debate offered:

“The Geneva Debate has been an enriching and wonderful experience. Being invited to talk in the incredible forum of the WTO in front of a great audience and expert judges is something that a student can only enjoy and learn from. On top of that, the subject at hand, the relationship between trade interdependence and peace, is of the utmost importance in today's geopolitical and economic context.”

He also highlighted the importance of nuance in policy debates, noting that while trade can support diplomacy and peace, it should not be seen as a standalone guarantee of stability, saying: “To play the game of the debate we had to defend only one side, in the case of Li-Cheng and I, that trade interdependence was insignificant to ensure peace. However, as it is often the case, the truth is more nuanced. I believe that trade can constitute a bridge for diplomacy and eventually ensure peace; but States should not be over reliant on it, as trade can also be weaponized or quickly shift when economic incentives change.”

Li-Chen (Ken) Cheng likewise underlined the value of engaging with diverse perspectives in such a high-level setting:

“The Geneva Debate offered a novel and enjoyable experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to exchange views on the relationship between trade interdependence and peace with professionals from diverse fields who all share a common engagement in global trade. Both sides of the debate offered great arguments, which ultimately boiled down to the question of: whether trade serve as a tool for fostering peace or can be used to coerce states? In my opinion, trade builds on the common pursuit of peace.”

He added that the debate ultimately revolved around whether trade fosters peace or can be used as a tool of coercion, concluding that trade is fundamentally “grounded in the common pursuit of peace.”

Paul added: “We can only hope that our different governments find the right balance between trade interdependence as a tool to achieve peace, and other international security mechanisms that are perhaps more binding and credible.”

Their thoughtful contributions, intellectual rigor, and professionalism throughout the competition exemplify the interdisciplinary excellence that defines the World Trade Institute. Representing WTI in the final of the Geneva Debate is a significant accomplishment, and Paul and Ken did so with distinction. You both made the WTI community proud!