Alumni

Many of our alumni have launched highly successful careers in a number of different sectors:

• International organisations including WTO, World Bank, UNCTAD, WIPO, UNEP, ITC, and regional development banks
• National ministries of trade, investment, finance and foreign affairs
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs
• European Commission
• Private sector including PwC, JP Morgan, Audi Forum Ingolstadt, Syngenta, Novartis, Japan Tobacco International
• Leading law firms with a trade and investment practice, including the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL)
• Industry associations
• Non-governmental organisations

Core elements of the WTI alumni network:

• Alumni meetings in different parts of the world
• Mentoring programme
• Information on job opportunities
• Social media and virtual platforms

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.

Visit our Winter and Summer Academy page to learn more about upcoming courses, tuition fees and details on how to apply. In your application, please indicate that you are a MILE or TRAIL+ alumna/alumnus.

The mentoring programme, begun in 2015, is one of the core elements of the WTI's alumni network and links MILE students with alumni on a thematic or regional basis.

The underlying idea is to support MILE students to establish themselves professionally with the help of our alumni network. In some cases the mentor also supervises the student’s master’s thesis or gives guidance during the MILE programme. The WTI connects students with alumni by matching mentors and mentees in a personalised manner.

You will find reports on the WTI mentoring scheme in the News archive.

For more information, contact the alumni relations coordinator.

The Thomas Cottier Award for Best Thesis
The 500-Swiss franc award is presented annually to one WTI student for the best thesis submitted. The award was set up to honour Prof. Emeritus Thomas Cottier's leadership and vision.

Winners:
Jimena Sotelo (MILE15)
Nadezhda Sporysheva (MILE 16)
Jean-Philippe Herbert (MILE 17)
Andrea De Angelis Effrem (MILE 18)
Yuliia Kucheriava (MILE 19): Read her Thesis here.
Marianna Henud Cresci (MILE 20): Read her Thesis here.

The WTI Alumni Association (WTIAA) promotes cooperation and networking opportunities for the WTI’s more than 600 alumni and students from across 100 countries. There are events and activities in which alumni discuss their research and publications; participate in events and initiatives such as workshops, webinars and social gatherings; and share guidance. The WTIAA encourages diversity, equality, and inclusion at all levels of the association. The association is determined to preserve the basic principles of international cooperation, equal opportunity and transparency.

The WTIAA consists of the Executive Committee (5 members: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasure, Outreach Officer), together with 2 pillars, (1) Regional Chapters (RC) and (2) Thematic Working Groups (TWG). Alumni who can participate in any of these RCs or TWGs. RCs will focus on trade in a specific geographic region while TWGs can focus on a theme, such Sustainable Trade and Investment or Trade and Labor.

The WTIAA was established in 2021. Its first Executive Committee, which was elected in August 2021, consists of the following members:

President: Mr Jeremy Streatfeild, MILE 1

Vice-President: Ms Wakako Oshima, MILE 7 - Read her interview

Secretary: Mr Harsh Hiroo Gursahani, MILE 11 - Read his interview

Treasurer: Ms Intan Maizurah Hamdan, MILE 1

Outreach Officer: Ms Esha Sandhu, TRAIL 3 

If you are interested to participate in the WTIAA’s activities and become a member, please contact alumni@wti.org