University of Bern appoints New Managing Director of the World Trade Institute

Bern, Switzerland – August 7th, 2025 — The World Trade Institute (WTI), a leading academic institution in international economic governance, announces changes to its core leadership team.

Effective from August 1st 2025, the University Board has appointed Professor Manfred Elsig as Managing Director of the WTI. Professor Isabelle Van Damme has been appointed as Deputy Managing Director.  

After serving 10 years as Managing Director of the WTI, Professor Joseph Francois is stepping down and will spearhead the establishment of the new Bern Air and Space Hub (BASH) at the WTI. He remains as a WTI Director, with a focus on emerging issues in the governance of space-based commerce. 

These appointments reflect the WTI’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, global engagement, and institutional continuity. Professor Manfred Elsig will assume operational responsibility and continue to act of Director of Research. Professor Isabelle Van Damme will continue as Director of Studies in addition to her new appointment.

Professor Manfred Elsig and the entire WTI team thank Professor Joseph Francois for his leadership and dedication over the past 10 years and look forward to continued cooperation during these critical times, as trade policy is on everyone’s mind. Under his leadership, WTI has further developed as a strategic centre of the University of Bern and knowledge hub in its own right. The WTI’s mission is more important than ever to provide in-depth analyses and practical solutions to ongoing challenges to the very fabric of international economic governance.

The WTI looks forward to the continued engagement with the international trade and investment community, including its former students and researchers. It also welcomes its new class of graduate students starting soon. “Our purpose as an institution continues to be focused on strengthening interdisciplinary research, offering top notch education and providing critical platforms for policy dialogue," says Professor Manfred Elsig.