News archive

Happy International Women's Day!

The WTI wishes a Happy International Women's Day! The following text was written by WTI PhD student and member of the Gender Team, Aylin Yildiz.

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Manfred Elsig talks about the Challenges the WTO faces on Swiss-Italian TV

Manfred Elsig, Deputy Managing Director and Director of Research of the WTI, shared his views in the 5 March episode of "Tempi moderni", a programme produced by the Swiss-Italian broadcaster "Radio Svizzera Italiana" (RSI).

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WTI PhD Candidate Aylin Yildiz participates as a Speaker in a Webinar organised by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law

The webinar series, entitled "Rising Sea Levels: Promoting Climate Justice through International Law", is held on 3, 11, 17 and 24 March.

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"WTO and its Role in Reducing the Economic Shock of the Pandemic": Latest Article by WTI Alumna Urvi Tembey

The article was published by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), ranked in the Top 20 think tanks worldwide by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Programme (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Video Message from Peter Van den Bossche

Peter Van den Bossche, WTI Director of Studies, has recorded a video message for the participants of this year's John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition which starts today with the All American Regional Round.

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Winter 2021 SIEL Newsletter

In this edition of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) Newsletter, Peter Van den Bossche, WTI Director of Studies and President of SIEL, wrote a commentary entitled "Will 2021 be better?".

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Latest News from the WTI

In January and early February 2021, Peter Van den Bossche, WTI Director of Studies, engaged in two teaching activities, in both of which he was joined by WTI External Faculty member Paolo Vergano, WTI Academic Coordinator Rodrigo Polanco and WTI PhD student Umid Yakubkhodjaev.

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2021 SIEL Global Conference: Call for Papers and Panels

The Seventh Biennial Global Conference of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) will take place as a virtual conference in collaboration with Bocconi University, Milan / Italy, on 8-10 July 2021.

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Strategie Nachhaltige Entwicklung 2030 des Bundesrates: Herausforderungen und Chancen?

Am 2. Februar 2021 findet das erste Treffen (als Web-Event) des Schweiz-UNO-Clubs statt. Dabei handelt es sich um eine Reihe von informellen Treffen, die sich der Thematik des Multilateralismus widmen. Das Thema dieses ersten Treffens wird «Strategie Nachhaltige Entwicklung 2030 der Schweiz: Herausforderungen und Chancen» sein.

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(CLOSED) We are hiring!

The WTI is looking for a Student Assistant for the Graduate School (up to 20%). The starting date for this position is 1 April 2021 (negotiable).

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20th Edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition: Call for Case Authors

ELSA International is opening a call for the Case Authors of the 20th edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition. Academic or practitioners of WTO Law are welcome to send a Case proposal for the next edition of the Competition.

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Election results for the Committee of the WTI Alumni Association

The elections for the establishment of a Founding Working Committee for the creation of the WTI Alumni Association have been completed with a participation rate of 37% of the WTI’s MILE, TRAIL+ and PhD alumni.

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Information about the third phase of the WTO Chairs Programme - Application Deadline extended

The Knowledge and Information Management, Academic Outreach and WCP Programme Division of the WTO is preparing the third phase of the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP), scheduled to be launched in 2021.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Syed Shakeel Shah

MILE 5 graduate Syed Shakeel Shah from Pakistan, Director of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Institute (CAREC) in Urumqi, talks about his professional journey and the benefits he gained from pursuing the MILE programme at the World Trade Institute. This interview is part of our Alumni profiles series.

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Peter Van den Bossche delivers Online Lecture at International Virtual Conference

On 5 January 2021, WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche gave an online lecture on "Trade Practices and Legislation in the EU: Are They Restricting Free Market Opportunities" at the Palm Oil Trade Fair and Seminar 2021 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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World Trade Review: Call for Proposals for Special Issues

The World Trade Review (WTR), whose editorial team consists of Mona Pinchis-Paulsen, Manfred Elsig, Joseph Francois and Peter Van den Bossche, intends to publish at least one special issue a year and will give preference to proposals for special issues of papers presented at inter- or transdisciplinary workshops or conferences.

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Information about Model WTO 2021

Organised by a team of students from the University of St. Gallen since its first edition in 1997, the Model WTO conference has established itself as the biggest simulation of negotiations of the WTO in the world, with the participation of 72 international students and the assistance of a prestigious ...

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Season's Greetings - Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2021 from the WTI

The WTI wishes you and your loved ones Happy Holidays and all the best for 2021.

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The European Union’s First Bilateral Trade Dispute - Final Ruling with WTI support

For the first time, the European Union has used a bilateral trade agreement to ensure its market access rights. After Covid restrictions preventing expediency and public hearings for almost a year, an Arbitration Panel has now recognised the right of Ukraine to regulate the management of its forest sector sustainably, ...

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Taiwan’s Deputy-Minister of Economic Affairs gives a Global Economic Governance (GEG) lecture to WTI students and staff

On Monday, 7 December 2020, Mr. Chern-Chyi Chen, Taiwan’s Deputy-Minister of Economic Affairs, spoke to the WTI Master’s students and staff as part of the institute’s Global Economic Governance (GEG) Seminar Series.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Martin Baumgartner

MILE 10 graduate Martin Baumgartner who is currently working on free trade agreements in the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), talks about his professional journey and the benefits he gained from pursuing the MILE programme at the World Trade Institute. This interview is part of our Alumni profiles ...

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Latest Activities by WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche - December 2020

In early December, Peter Van den Bossche, the WTI's Director of Studies, participated in two online events. Find more details about these events below.

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Aylin Yildiz receives a scholarship for the 79th Biennial Conference of the International Law Association (ILA)

Aylin Yildiz, PhD student in Law at the WTI and member of the WTI Gender Team, has successfully applied and received a scholarship for the 79th Biennial Conference of the International Law Association (ILA).

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In Loving Memory of Nathalie Diaz

The untimely demise of Nathalie Diaz, MILE 14 alumna from Peru and a beloved member of the WTI family has left us shocked and deeply saddened. Our hearts go out to her family and friends in these difficult times. The eulogy below was written by Nathalie's friends and fellow WTI ...

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Prof. Em. Thomas Cottier awarded with an honorary doctorate by the University of Lucerne

Prof. Em. Cottier, founding father of the World Trade Institute, has been awarded with an honorary doctorate by the Law Faculty of the University of Lucerne on 5 November 2020.

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Congratulations, Edwin Vermulst!

The World Trade Institute congratulates Edwin Vermulst, founding partner of VVGB Advocaten and WTI External Faculty member, for winning the 2020 award of Trade and Customs Lawyer of the Year by Who's Who Legal.

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How has the world of education adapted to the process of Digitalisation?

On 9 October 2020, Peter Van den Bossche, the WTI's Director of Studies, presented the WTI's TRAIL+ (LL.M.) programme during the second session of the "Career Launch Initiative" organised by the European Law Students' Association (ELSA).

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Creation of the WTI Alumni Association

Several WTI alumni have gathered to start preparations for the formation of an official WTI Alumni Association, aiming to further strengthen and develop the alumni relations. The WTI's more than 500 alumni are part of an ever-growing, global and vibrant community of bright and dedicated minds.

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'Back to the Good Old Days of GATT Dispute Settlement?' Commentary by Peter Van den Bossche in the Autumn 2020 edition of the SIEL Newsletter

In his capacity as President of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL), Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies of the WTI, wrote a commentary on the WTO dispute settlement system.

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'The Future of Trade Policy and External Cooperation': Recap of the 2020 World Trade Forum

Discussions during this year's World Trade Forum focussed primarily on trade conflicts between large economies, general tensions in world trade and possible solutions. In addition, possibilities were discussed how future cooperation in international trade can be strengthened. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Trade Forum was held online for ...

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Online now: The 2019 Annual Report of the World Trade Institute

The 2019 edition of the World Trade Institute's Annual Report is now available and can be downloaded from our website.

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"Reshaping the WTO": Prof. Peter Van den Bossche moderates a webinar on the WTO and Trade Monitoring

On 16 September 2020, Prof. Peter Van den Bossche moderated a webinar on the reform of the WTO trade policy review mechanism, organized by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP).

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Class gets underway for the 2020-2021 MILE and TRAIL+ programmes

This year’s induction days for the incoming MILE and TRAIL+ students took place on 9 and 10 September, with most of them attending the orientation sessions and the Opening Ceremony online.

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Peter Van den Bossche comments on WTO leadership race in new Reuters article

Roberto Azevêdo stepped down as Director General of the WTO at the end of August, leaving the organization without an interim leader. Does this mark a new low-point for the crisis-ridden organization? What are the chances of a of a strong, dynamic leader emerging by early November, who will be ...

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Manfred Elsig on the chances of a woman becoming the DG of the WTO for the first time

Roberto Azevêdo has officially left his post as Director General of the WTO on 31 August. Of the eight candidates for the vacancy, Nigeria's ex-finance and foreign minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is said to have the best chances.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Pallavi Bajaj

MILE 10 graduate Pallavi Bajaj, International Trade Policy Consultant, and Partner at TCube Consulting LLP, talks about her professional journey and the benefits she gained from pursuing the MILE programme at the World Trade Institute. This interview is part of our Alumni profiles series.

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Save the date: World Trade Forum 2020

This year's World Trade Forum, co-organised by the European University Institute and the World Trade Institute, will be held online. This is in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Interview with Peter Van den Bossche as basis for a new article on the possible future WTO DG in the NRC

The leading Dutch newspaper NRC has published an article about the eight candidates for the position as new Director General of the WTO on the basis of an interview with Prof. Peter Van den Bossche, the WTI's Director of Studies.

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The 2019-20 Advanced Master Programmes have come to an end

After months of intense preparation, the 2019-20 MILE and TRAIL+ students finished the WTI Moor Court competition online and were officially bid farewell at a COVID-19 conform Closing Ceremony on the WTI premises. After the Ceremony, the students and some WTI staff enjoyed a lunch with a view at Restaurant ...

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Final Report of the 18th Edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition now available to read

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some Regional Rounds as well as the Grand Finals had to be held online. A team of current TRAIL+ students participated in this year's competition, too. The WTI has been an academic supporter and sponsor of this competition for several years and many WTI ...

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Successful Conclusion of the WTI's first ever Online Summer Academy

The WTI's annual Summer Academy, which was held online this year in response the to the COVID-19 pandemic, has successfully concluded on 17 July. This was the first time the Institute offered the weekly courses exclusively for virtual participation since the launch of the Winter and Summer Academies.

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Latest Activities by WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche

Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the WTI, has been involved in a number of different activities this month. These include the delivery of an online lecture about the new EU – Mexico Trade Agreement, a keynote lecture at the Online Summer 2020 Academic Conference on The 3R ...

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Peter Van den Bossche's latest online lecture now available to watch

Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the WTI, gave a video lecture in the context of the 2020 "Trade, Investment and Development Program" organised by the Washington College of Law, American University, Washington, D.C.

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Switzerland nominates Professor Emeritus Thomas Cottier as Arbitrator for the MPIA

Switzerland has nominated Professor Emeritus Thomas Cottier as its candidate for the pool of 10 arbitrators for the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), a temporary solution for the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body. Prof. Cottier is the former Managing Director of the World Trade Institute and Professor Emeritus ...

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USMCA Chapter 31 State-State Dispute Settlement: Christian Häberli named as Panelist

The successor agreement to NAFTA entered into force on 1 July 2020, with the same three parties. The new acronym is USMCA (Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada). WTI Fellow Christian Häberli is one of 30 people who will act as panelists in ...

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WTI study suggests minimal negative impact of EFTA-Mercosur free trade deal

Two studies commissioned by the Swiss Governement forecast little to no negative environmental or agricultural impact of the EFTA-Mercosur free tarde agreement. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) published the results last week. One of these studies was carried out by the World Trade Institute in June 2019.

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Written submission by Prof. Damian Raess to the House of Commons on UK-EU trade negotiations

SNSF Professor Damian Raess' written evidence on level playing field rule in the policy area of social and employment standards is now online and can be accessed on the official website of the UK Parliament. Prof. Raess was invited to submit his evidence by the Chair of the Committee, Hilary ...

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'Can It Get Any Worse?' Commentary by Peter Van den Bossche in the June 2020 edition of the SIEL Newsletter

In his capacity as President of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL), Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies of the WTI, wrote a commentary on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and international trade.

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Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition’s final round!

This year's winning team hails from Mumbai, India, and was composed of Ms. Sharnam Vaswani, Ms. Urshila Samant, Ms. Drashti Gala and Ms. Niyati Karia who participated in the competition representing Government Law College Mumbai. They also won the prize for the best team from a developing country. The best ...

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"The WTO Before, During and After Corona": Peter Van den Bossche's introduction now available to listen

This year's Spring Meeting by the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law (KNVIR) was held online on Wednesday, 24 June. Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the WTI, introduced the meeting. If you could not attend, you can now watch it online.

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Peter Van den Bossche talks about Roberto Azevêdo's departure as Director General of the WTO on SRF's "Echo der Zeit"

Peter Van den Bossche, The WTI's Director of Studies, shared his thoughts on Roberto Azevêdo's resignation as the WTO's Director General and what possible challenges his successor might have to face. The programme was aired on Saturday, 20 June 2020.

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Pandemic and the Global Economy: A virtual workshop series

National policy responses to the COVID-19 crisis have included cooperation replaced by competition, including export restrictions, efforts to re-localize global supply chains, and efforts to regulate the overseas production of MNEs. This workshop will examine issues and challenges raised by recent experience.

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WTI Summer Academy starts next week!

The WTI's online Summer Academy starts next week with the course on WTO Law on TBT & SPS Measures. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all our courses will be held online, ensuring that participants can still learn about cutting-edge issues in international law and economics. All course syllabi are now ...

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My PCA Fellowship - Jorge Manrique de Lara

Jorge Manrique de Lara, MILE 17 graduate from Peru, worked as an Assistant Legal Counsel for the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague (Netherlands) after completing the MILE Master's programme in Bern. Read his testimonial about the one year fellowship which allowed him to work with a diverse ...

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A message from Peter Van den Bossche

The WTI's Director of Studies reassures new Master's students that, despite travel restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic which may make it impossible for them to travel to Switzerland in the near future, the Master's programmes starting in September 2020 will be available online as well. Resuming the ...

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UPDATE (as of 26 May 2020): Information about the coronavirus (SARS CoV2)

The number of people infected by the coronavirus SARS CoV2 continues to increase in Switzerland. New measures to tackle the situation have been announced by the Federal Council on Friday, 13 March. In a first stage starting on 27 April, there will be a first easing of restrictions. The second ...

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Interview by Christian Häberli on the early resignation of WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo for DRS4's "Trend"

WTI fellow Christian Häberli gave an interview on Roberto Azevêdo's resignation as Director General of the WTO for "Trend", a programme produced by Swiss Radio channel DRS4. The interview, alongside a report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on shared economy facilities like "Mobility", was aired last Saturday, 16 ...

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Prof. Dr. Manfred Elsig talks about Roberto Azevêdo's departure as Director General of the WTO in an interview with DRS 4

After Azevêdo's resignation as Director General, how can the World Trade Organization (WTO) find its way out of the crisis? Can it still perform its main tasks, and what will Azevêdo's successor have to do to ensure that the WTO can continue its function? Prof. Dr. Manfred Elsig, Deputy Managing ...

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Register for the 2020 Summer Academy - All courses available online

Due to the circumstances caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the WTI has decided to offer all of this years' Summer Academy courses online, ensuring that people who wish to broaden their knowledge of international law and economics can still do so, despite not being able to travel to Switzerland. ...

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"Leap of faith: the new 16-member alternative appeals tribunal at the WTO"

Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the WTI, shared his views in a recent article on the alternative mechanism to the WTO Appellate Body which aims at settling legal disputes at appellate level. the author of the article, Iana Dreyer, is the founder and chief editor of Borderlex.eu, ...

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Prof. Dr. Manfred Elsig: «US-China trade relations: Effects on Switzerland»

Prof. Dr. Manfred Elsig, Deputy Managing Director and Director of Research at the WTI, gave a lecture on US-China relations and the impact on Switzerland, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This lecture was given as part of the Forum for University and Society by the University of Bern and its ...

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Be a TRAIL-blazer: Nithya Grace Fenn

The WTI's TRAIL+ programme is offered in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Bern. Upon successful completion, students are awarded an LL.M. in International Trade and Investment Law, as well as a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) in International Law and Economics. Nithya Grace Fenn from ...

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John H. Jackson Moot Court: Call for Case Author

The European Law Students' Association (ELSA) has issued a call for the Case Author for the 19th edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition. The WTI has been a proud sponsor of this Moot Court for several years and many WTI alumni have acted as panelists and coaches ...

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Know the Gap Lecture Series: Update for May

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the two Know the Gap lectures scheduled for May will be replaced by online solutions. The recorded lectures will be made available on our website soon.

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Call for Abstracts: Workshop “Environmental Social Sciences”: NEW DEADLINE

This Call for Abstracts is for the workshop "Environmental Social Sciences", organised by the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Bern. The submission deadline is 15 May 2020.

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My Winter/Summer Academy Experience at the WTI: Christine Jiang - Registration for the 2020 Summer Academy open NOW

Each year, the WTI offers courses covering cutting-edge issues in trade and investment law and policy which are de­signed for professionals as well as advanced master and PhD students. The Winter and Summer Academies also attract a vast number of people from abroad who wish to strengthen their knowledge and ...

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Virtual Summit | Re-thinking and taking action in the COVID-19 time

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented disruption to trade worldwide. What are international trade experts saying with regard to the development of a new strategic plan and common response to this global challenge?

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Post-WTI Life: WTI and my recent experience as an Intern at the WTO

Do you wonder what's in store for you immediately after graduating from the WTI? Shishira Johny from India recently completed the TRAIL+ programme in Bern and is now doing an internship in the Trade in Service and Investment Division at the WTO in Geneva. Find out how the TRAIL+ programme ...

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SRF 1 ECO: Coronavirus "infects" Economy

What impact does the coronavirus have on the stock markets? How do central banks react and what side effects do negative interest rates have? Listen to what WTI Executive Board member Aymo Brunetti had to say in the ECO episode aired last week.

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Blame and Shame: Arthur E. Appleton shares his thoughts on Globalisation and Nationalism

Globalism is becoming the favourite scapegoat for politicians to deflect the blame for their own policy failures, especially in countries with nationalistic tendencies. WTI Faculty and Advisory Board member Arthur E. Appleton was featured in a radio interview earlier this week, where he argues that "the fight against globalization and ...

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Be a MILE ahead: Runqiu (Rachel) Du

Are you keen on pursuing one of the world’s leading programmes of advanced studies in the field of international trade regulation? Runqiu (Rachel) Du from China is currently enrolled in the MILE programme at the WTI. Read her interview to find out why she chose the MILE programme and how ...

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Be a TRAIL-blazer: Vishal Shrivastava

Are you a law graduate looking to take the next step in your career or in academia? The TRAIL+ programme at the WTI targets students and professionals with a legal background who are interested in specialising in international economic law with cross-disciplinary study of the global economy and trade and ...

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International Women's Day 2020

A message of solidarity and equality from the WTI Gender Committee.

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Is Trade Bad for Women?

WTI Advisory Board member Beata Javorcik shares her thoughts in episode 124 of the Trade Talks podcast with Soumaya Keynes & Chad Bown.

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WTI researchers participate in the Assembly of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Switzerland

The SDSN Switzerland Assembly, held on 18 February in Bern, provided a platform for members, partners and other stakeholders to explore ways of cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Call for Applications for the 7th WTI-CWS Joint Academy

Established in 2014, the WTI-CWS Joint academy aims to provide law students and legal professionals in India with an opportunity to increase their knowledge of trade regulation and governance issues.

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BBC Radio 5 Live: Joseph Francois appears on The Emma Barnett Show

The Emma Barnett show regularly features big-name interviews, original journalism and news-making stories.

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Dr Damian Raess questioned on the level playing field in international trade and labor standards

The House of Lords EU Internal Market Sub-Committee held an evidence session on Thursday 27 February, with regards to questions around the level playing field in UK-EU trade negotiations.

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Peter Van den Bossche delivers a lecture and participates in a roundtable discussion in Edinburgh

The roundtable discussion, chaired by Carolyn Thurston Smith, also included other speakers such as Ignacio Garcia Bercero from the European Commission and St. Anthony's College (Oxford) and Martin Bell from the Scottish Whisky Association.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Jean-Philippe Herbert

MILE 17 graduate Jean-Philippe Herbert, a dispute settlement lawyer in the Legal Affairs division of the WTO in Geneva, began his career as a commercial litigator in Canada. In this interview, he talks about his professional journey and the benefits he gained from pursuing the MILE programme at the World ...

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Peter Van den Bossche starts his Spring Semester teaching

On Monday and Tuesday, 17 and 18 February, WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche started his 14-week-long courses on 'International Economic Dispute Resolution' and 'International Economic Law and the Pursuit of Core Societal Values and Interests' respectively.

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WTI alumni play key role in Gujarat International Moot Court 2020

The 12th Gujarat International Moot Court (GIMC) competition, an important international trade law moot court held in India, has just concluded. The World Trade Institute is proud of the involvement of so many of its alumni in the event, which it has sponsored for more than ten years.

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WTI CLIM_CO_2 sustainability project launches its own website

The CLIM_CO_2 environmental migration project has launched its own website – www.climco2.org - to highlight the research being carried out by the WTI-based team led by Professor Elisa Fornalé. Congratulations to Elisa and her team members, Aylin and Najma on their achievement!

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Winter Academy ends with course on law and policy of trade in services

The month-long WTI Winter Academy has concluded with a course on ‘The Law and Policy of Trade in Services’ taught by Pierre Sauvé and Jan Bohanes.

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Peter Van den Bossche visits London and Moscow

Peter Van den Bossche, the WTI's Director of Studies, conducted a seminar and gave a public lecture at the London School of Economics (LSE) at the end of last month. From London he went to Moscow where he was a member of the panel in the Russian National Rounds of ...

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Winter Academy: Week three looks at WTO law on subsidies and countervailing measures

The third week of the WTI Winter Academy – a course on WTO Law on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - attracted a large number of participants.

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Week two of Winter Academy focuses on WTO law on anti-dumping and safeguard measures

In the second week of the Winter Academy now underway at the WTI participants learned about the role of anti-dumping and safeguard measures in international trade regulation.

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Peter Van den Bossche addresses EIPIN congress

From 22 to 24 January, World Trade Institute (WTI) Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche participated in the 21st EIPIN congress, hosted by Maastricht University, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Maastricht, the Netherlands.

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PhD candidates in Law sweep competition prizes

Aylin Yildiz and Iryna Bogdanova, PhD candidates in Law at the World Trade Institute (WTI), have received runner-up awards in the ‘Hours of Crisis’ competition run by the Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands on 18 January.

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Winter Academy begins with a course on WTO Law on Border Measures and Trade Facilitation

The Winter Academy is underway at the World Trade Institute (WTI). On 20-23 January we had the pleasure to welcome Professor Roy Santana who taught a course on ‘WTO Law on Border Measures and Trade Facilitation’.

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The Chocolate War – a simulation exercise on WTO law on trade in food

In the context of the Food Law Master 2020 programme at LUISS University in Rome, WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche conducted a 10-hour simulation exercise on WTO law on trade in food, entitled ‘The Chocolate War’, on 17 and 18 January.

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Closing soon: registration for the MILE/TRAIL+ programmes

Time is running out to apply for a place on the Master’s programmes at the World Trade Institute (WTI) beginning in September 2020!

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Peter Van den Bossche lectures in Bruges and Geneva

World Trade Institute (WTI) Director of Studies Professor Peter Van den Bossche has begun the year with lectures in Bruges, Belgium, and Geneva, Switzerland.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Wakako Oshima

MILE 7 graduate Wakako Oshima, a Japanese national and US-licensed lawyer with top law firm and in-house counsel experience, talks about how she moved from WTO litigation to promoting the sustainable development of businesses across borders.

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WTI congratulates Arancha Gonzalez on becoming Spain’s foreign minister

Arancha Gonzalez, a member of the WTI Advisory Board and external faculty, has been named the new foreign minister of Spain.

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The WTO at 25: crisis-hit but not defeated

Despite the problems it is currently up against, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is still working and serves an important function, according to WTI Fellow Christian Häberli.

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Starting soon: the 2020 Winter Academy

The 2020 Winter Academy at the World Trade Institute (WTI) starts on 20 January, offering four weeks of tuition by leading experts on trade investment law and policy issues.

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BRICS project launches new website

The BRICS Globalization and Labour Protections research project at the World Trade Institute now has its own website.

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New Trade Winds newsletter now available

The year-end edition of the WTI's Trade Winds newsletter has just been published, featuring new publications, upcoming events and an introduction by Peter Van den Bossche.

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Peter Van den Bossche lectures and attends a workshop in Taiwan

WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche has paid a visit to Taiwan where he delivered a series of lectures and attended a workshop.

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Climate change: what’s the way forward after COP25?

A few days after the closure of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP25, Professor Elisa Fornalé of the WTI was invited to deliver a lecture in Naples on climate change induced mobility and legal obstacles for small island states.

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Sign up for the 2020 Winter Academy

The 2020 Winter Academy at the World Trade Institute (WTI) starts on 20 January, offering four weeks of tuition by leading experts on trade investment law and policy issues. Sign up and start the year by broadening your knowledge of international law and economics.

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WTO Appellate Body crisis: Peter Van den Bossche addresses public hearing

On 3 December World Trade Institute (WTI) Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche testified before the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament during a public hearing on the crisis in the WTO Appellate Body. His testimony is now available as a video recording.

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Interested in starting a Master’s at the WTI in 2020? Registration is still open

If you are looking to embark on a rewarding career in international trade the Master of Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics (MILE) or TRAIL+ programme in Trade and Investment Law offered by the World Trade Institute (WTI) may be the right choice.

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Upcoming lecture: Gender equality in the judiciary – with an emphasis on international judiciary

by Professor Catherine Kessedjian, professor emerita, University Panthéon-Assas Paris II

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Peter Van den Bossche lectures at Milan’s Bocconi University

World Trade Institute (WTI) Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche has given a series of lectures at Bocconi University, Milan, in the context of long-standing cooperation between the two academic institutions.

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WTI PhD Fellow presents paper at Latin America – Asia Pacific Observatory conference in Uruguay

María Vasquez Callo-Müller, a PhD Fellow at the World Trade Institute (WTI), presented her paper ‘How to build interoperability? Conceptualizing the Asia – Latin America relationship for the data economy’ at the Latin America - Asia Pacific Observatory Fourth Academic Seminar held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 12 November.

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Economic growth, sectoral structures, and environmental methane footprints

A new WTI publication on the relation between economic growth, trade, and sectoral methane emissions is now available open access from Applied Economics.

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Margrit Vetter meets up with WTI alumni in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

Margrit Vetter, the WTI’s Director of Administration, spent the month of November visiting South East Asia and meeting up with WTI alumni in different countries.

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WTI workshop considers trade wars and their impact

The term ‘trade war’ is frequently heard these days, but what exactly does it refer to and what is the impact of these wars on global trade and smaller economies? This was the topic of a one-day workshop held at the World Trade Institute (WTI) on 21 November.

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World Trade Forum – videos from the sessions

‘Multilateralism at Risk' was the theme of the 2019 World Trade Forum that took place in Bern on 25 and 26 October. The proceedings are now available to watch in video format.

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WTI renews teaching links with the Trade Policy Centre in Africa

The World Trade Institute (WTI) has maintained excellent relations with the Trade Policy Centre in Africa (www.trapca.org) for the past ten years, thanks to a cooperation agreement dated January 2009.

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WTI Director of Studies speaks on multilateral trading system in Macau and Hong Kong

World Trade Institute Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche has spoken on the current state of the multilateral trading system and on the crisis of WTO dispute settlement during a short teaching visit to Macau and Hong Kong.

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"A different US-China fight hits the headlines"

Former WTO Appellate Body member Peter Van den Bossche, now WTI Director of Studies, discusses the decision of the WTO to authorise China to retaliate against $3.6 billion of US exports in the 5 November Trade Talks podcast by Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown.

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WTI hosts workshop on impact of trade wars

The World Trade Institute (WTI) is hosting a one-day workshop on ‘Trade Wars and their Impact on Global Trade and Small Economies’ on 21 November. The event is jointly organised with the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, Taipei, Taiwan.

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WTI Fellow scoops young scholar award

WTI Fellow Dr Kelly Shang was awarded the Young Scholar Award from the Asian International Economic Law Network (AIELN) at its conference at the end of October.

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Professor Elisa Fornalé represents WTI in Swiss National Future Day 2019

SNSF Professor Elisa Fornalé will participate in this year’s Swiss National Future Day, held on 14 November, that supports school children in choosing a future career.

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Peter Van den Bossche delivers lecture on WTO dispute settlement

WTI Director of Studies Professor Peter Van den Bossche gave a two-hour lecture entitled, ‘Can the WTO Dispute Settlement System Be Saved? Its successful past and uncertain future, ’at the Faculty of Law of the University of Leuven, Belgium on 28 October.

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Multilateralism at risk – fruitful debate at World Trade Forum 2019

The 2019 World Trade Forum on the topic ‘Multilateralism at Risk' has drawn to a close after two days of lively discussion.

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World Trade Forum 2019 considers threats to multilateral trading system

The 2019 World Trade Forum is underway in Bern. The two-day conference – this year on the topic ‘Multilateralism at Risk' - brings together leading trade practitioners and scholars, government officials, representatives of international and non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations.

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WTI takes part in World Resources Forum 2019

The World Trade Institute (WTI) will participate in a workshop at the World Resources Forum which is taking place in Geneva on 23 and 24 October.

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WTI directors present new book at WTO Public Forum

A new WTI title, 'The Shifting Landscape of Global Trade Governance', was launched at the WTO Public Forum on 10 October.

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WTI alumni hold annual get-together

Around 70 alumni, students and faculty of the World Trade Institute came together for a social event in Geneva on 9 October.

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WTI alumni panel held at the WTO Public Forum

The WTI organised an alumni panel at the WTO Public Forum on 9 October 2019. Alumni from different intakes participated in the discussion. The theme was ‘Tomorrow’s Trading World – Thinking Ahead for the Future Generations’.

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Chinese students from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing visit the WTI

A group of 38 students from the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, led by Prof. Xiankun Lu, visited the WTI on 7 October 2019.

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Annual get-together of WTI alumni to be held during WTO Public Forum

As in previous years the annual get-together of World Trade Institute alumni will take place in Geneva during the week of the WTO Public Forum.

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WTI faculty member delivers Brexit agriculture lecture in London

On 2 October WTI faculty member Christian Häberli delivered a Masterclass Guest Lecture to the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), entitled ‘GB Agriculture: Climate-smart AND WTO-compatible?’.

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Peter Van den Bossche lectures at Chinese conferences

World Trade Institute (WTI) Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche has completed a lecture tour in China where he addressed conferences on international law in Beijing and Haikou.

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Peter Van den Bossche speaks on WTO Appellate Body crisis at Leiden law conference

World Trade Institute Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche delivered a keynote lecture on ‘The WTO Appellate Body Crisis: Lessons for the Governance of International Adjudication?’ at Leiden University in the Netherlands on 21 September.

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TIISA annual conference and PhD workshop held at WTI

The first annual conference of the transnational Jean Monnet Network of Trade and Investment in Services Associates (TIISA) took place at the World Trade Institute (WTI) on 20-21 September.

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Malaysian academic delegation discuss cooperation during WTI visit

The World Trade Institute (WTI) was pleased to welcome a delegation from the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) of the National University of Malaysia on 17 September.

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PhD course on state responsibility held at WTI

The first PhD course of the new semester took place at the World Trade Institute (WTI) from 9 to 13 September.

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WTI hosts world’s biggest international trade conference in anniversary year

The World Trade Institute (WTI) was proud to host the annual conference of the European Trade Study Group (ETSG), which this year marks its 20th anniversary. The conference ran from 12 to 14 September at the University of Bern.

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Amb. Ujal Singh Bhatia gives keynote speech at launch of 2019-2020 WTI Advanced Master Programmes

The new intake of students on the MILE and TRAIL+ programmes were officially welcomed to the World Trade Institute (WTI) on 11 September.

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Prizes presented to young economists at international trade conference in Bern

Three young economists have received awards for papers they presented the annual conference of the European Trade Study Group (ETSG) being held in Bern.

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11 September Opening Ceremony of the 2019-20 Advanced Master Programmes

The Opening Ceremony will feature a keynote speech by Amb. Ujal Singh Bhatia, Member and former Chair of the Appellate Body of the WTO, and former ambassador and permanent representative of India to the WTO.

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World Meeting of Societies for International Law at the Peace Palace in The Hague

On 2 and 3 September 2019, Prof. Peter Van den Bossche participated, in his capacity as President of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL), in the Rencontre Mondiale des Sociétes pour le Droit International / World Meeting of Societies for International Law at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

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Registration Open: MILE and TRAIL+

Applications for the 2020-21 MILE (MAS) and TRAIL+ (LL.M.) programmes are now being accepted. Apply today!

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Registration open for September 2019 PhD courses

Click to learn more about the courses "State Responsibility" and "Institutions and the Political Economy of Development", both offered this September at the WTI.

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Thomas Cottier, A Letter from Beijing, 4 August 2019

In the latest in a series of letters from around the world, former WTI Managing Director and Senior Research Fellow Thomas Cottier sends his impressions of a WTI teaching visit to China.

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WTO Appellate Review: Reform Proposals and Alternatives

E-book of contributions made at the WTI Workshop on WTO Appellate Review: Reform Proposals and Alternatives, held on 24 May 2019 at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

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Teaching and outreach activities continue in Ecuador and Peru

In July 2019, Prof. Peter Van den Bossche taught courses at the USFQ, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru and the American Chamber of Commerce of Peru. He also visited Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, a long-term partner of the WTI.

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2020 Winter and Summer Academies

Visit the Winter and Summer Academy page on our website to see the 2020 course lists. These week-long classes can be taken à la carte or with the aim of obtaining a certificate or diploma.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Jimena Sotelo

MILE 15 alumna Jimena Sotelo talks to the WTI about her work at the International Trade Centre and her experience with the MILE programme.

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The Shifting Landscape of Global Trade Governance

World Trade Forum volume edited by Manfred Elsig, Michael Hahn and Gabrielle Spilker, published by Cambridge University Press.

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Global Economic Governance Seminar Series: new lecture dates released

Visit our Events page to see the current schedule for the fall lecture series.

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The 2018-19 Advanced Master Programmes have come to an end

At the end of June, the 2018-19 MILE and TRAIL+ classes finished their programmes with two busy days in Geneva followed by the Closing Ceremony in Bern.

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Trading for Good: Climate Change and Agriculture

The 2019 Summer Symposium of the International Agricultural Research Consortium (IATRC) brought together almost 50 scholars from all continents, including EU and US officials. WTI Fellow Christian Häberli was invited as a keynote speaker to the final plenary session.

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Closing Ceremony of the 2018-19 Advanced Master Programmes

This year's Closing Ceremony featured a keynote address by State Secretary Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, SECO.

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Call for Papers deadline extended: Trade in Services by Mode of Supply

The deadline for submissions has been extended to 14 July 2019. The first annual Trade and Investment in Services Associates (TIISA) conference will take place at the WTI from 20-21 September 2019.

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WTI continues its outreach activities in India

In early June, Prof. Peter Van den Bossche lectured and presented at various institutes in India, delivered the keynote speech at the second anniversary of the CTIL, and signed two MoUs.

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"Beyond Rational Choice: The Behavioral Political Economy of Protectionism"

Prof. Dr. Anne van Aaken, University of Hamburg, gave a Tea Time Talk at the WTI on 20 June.

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Sustainability at Huawei

Alan Aicken, Vice-President, Procurement Department, and Chief Sustainability Officer for the Supply Chain at Huawei, delivered a Brown Bag seminar on Wednesday.

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Coming up: Brown Bag Seminar and Tea Time Talk

On Wednesday a Brown Bag Seminar by Alan Aicken (Huawei) on “Sustainability at Huawei”, and on Thursday a Tea Time Talk with Anne van Aaken (Univ. of Hamburg) on "The Behavioral Political Economy of Protectionism".

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Call for Papers: Biannual Symposium on Salient Issues in International Commercial Arbitration

The Center on International Commercial Arbitration is accepting submissions for its biannual symposium, which will be held on November 14, 2019 at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. The deadline for submissions is 15 August 2019.

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Thomas Cottier delivers keynote speech at annual WTO Conference

The 31 May 2019 conference featured four panels and a final discussion. It was held at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) in London.

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Sixth WTI-CWS Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy in Delhi

The Academy was inaugurated on 3 June 2019 by Prof. Abhijit Das, Head, Centre of WTO Studies, Prof. Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies, World Trade Institute, Shri. Raheev Kher, former Commerce Secretary, Government of India and Ms. Shailja Sing, Legal Consultant, Centre for WTO Studies.

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Trade & Security Exceptionalism

Prof. Kathleen Claussen, J.D., University of Miami School of Law, delivered a Brown Bag lecture.

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Recap: WTO Appellate Review Workshop

The WTI gathered lawyers, academics and policymakers to discuss options for reforming appellate review at the WTO. Event summary by Anvar Rahmetov.

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Farewell to the WTO Appellate Body: full speech now available

On 28 May, Prof Peter Van den Bossche delivered his farewell speech to the Appellate Body at the WTO in Geneva. His full speech is available via the link in this article.

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Uncertain Times Ahead: India and the Crisis at the World Trade Organization

Nitin Pai, Director of The Takshashila Institution, will be in conversation with the WTI's Prof. Peter Van den Bossche at Swissnex India.

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Brexit and UK Trade Policy

A Global Economic Governance Seminar Series lecture by Victoria Donaldson, Legal Deputy Director at Department for International Trade, UK Government.

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Peter Van den Bossche Bids Farewell to the WTO Appellate Body

On 28 May, Prof Peter Van den Bossche delivered his farewell speech to the Appellate Body at the WTO in Geneva.

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Circular Economy and Trade: Why this relationship matters?

Henrique Pacini, Economic Affairs Officer at UNCTAD, delivered a Brown Bag seminar in the Anna Nussbaum Auditorium.

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Workshop at the WTO and seminar by Dr. Nilüfer Oral

The “Workshop on WTO Appellate Review” and a lecture by Dr. Oral on “Gender Equality in the United Nations system" took place on 24 May.

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Trade, Meat, and the Environment

A Brown Bag Seminar by Dora Simon, PhD Candidate at the University of Zurich Department of Economics.

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Register today for the WTI’s Summer Academy 2019

The WTI’s Summer Academy 2019 runs from 3-20 June 2019. These week-long courses are designed for working professionals with limited time who are interested in international economic governance, trade and investment.

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CLI_M_CO2 team wins distinction award in SNSF Scientific Image Competition

The CLI_M_CO2 picture "Sea Change" has been awarded a Distinction by an international jury for the category "1. Object of study".

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Indonesian Minister of Trade visits WTI

The Indonesian Minister of Trade, Enggartiasto Lukita, visited the WTI on Thursday 9 May 2019, where he met with WTI Directors Joseph Francois, Manfred Elsig and Michael Hahn.

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International Economic Law in the Era of Big Data

This guest lecture by PD Dr.iur. Mira Burri, University of Lucerne, took place in the context of the course on International Economic Law and the Pursuit of Core Societal Values and Interests.

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A Lawyer’s Perspective on WTO Law and Running a Trade Practice

This guest lecture by Paolo Vergano, Partner at FratiniVergano - European Lawyers, took place in the context of the course on International Economic Dispute Resolution.

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Coming up on 13 and 14 May: Guest Lectures at the WTI

Paolo Vergano’s Monday lecture “A Lawyer’s Perspective on WTO Law and Running a Trade Practice,” and Mira Burri’s Tuesday lecture “International Economic Law in the Era of Big Data” are open to the public.

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World Trade Forum 2019 Call for Papers

This Call for Papers is on the topic of "International Economic Dispute Settlement: Demise or Transformation". The submission deadline is 31 May 2019.

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Investment Arbitration in Practice

Rahul Donde, Counselor at Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler Attorneys in Geneva, delivered a guest lecture in the context of the course on International Economic Dispute Resolution. This lecture was open to the public.

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Session transcripts now available for WTI Conference on Dispute Settlement

An e-book of session transcripts from the conference "What Kind of Dispute Settlement for the WTO?" held at the WTO in Geneva on 4 February 2019 is now available.

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International Regulation on E-Commerce

A Global Economic Governance Seminar Series lecture delivered on 1 May 2019 by Dr. Mira Burri, Managing Director Steering Committee Internationalisation (SCI) and Senior Lecturer, University of Lucerne.

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Coming up on 24 May: Workshop on WTO Appellate Review: Reform Proposals and Alternatives

This workshop is open to the public and will be held at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

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Trading for good

The 23-25 June 2019 symposia "Trading for good - Agricultural trade in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation: synergies, obstacles and possible solutions” will feature a keynote speech by Dr. Christian Häberli

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International Bachelor Summer School for Climate Change Research: Confronting Climate Change – from Science to Policy

This summer school will take place from 5 – 16 August 2019 at the University of Bern. It is co-organized by the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and the WTI.

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Enhancing “safe, orderly and regular migration”: Human rights protection for migrant workers at the intersection of multiple normative frameworks

This guest lecture by Prof. Elisa Fornalé took place in the context of the course on International Economic Law and the Pursuit of Core Societal Values.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Alvita Chen

MILE 14 alumna from Indonesia, Alvita Chen, tells the WTI about her position as Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs at GOJEK, and how the MILE helped her learn the key role of MSMEs in driving sustainable economic development.

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The Relationship Between Trade and Competition Law

A Global Economic Governance Seminar Series lecture by Prof. Robert Anderson, Counsellor in the Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition Division of the Secretariat of the WTO.

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Is WTO reform feasible? Lessons from political science research

A summary by Anvar Rahmetov of Prof. Manfred Elsig's speech at the 3 April Trade Lecture Sessions @ the WTO, organized by the Embassy of Israel in Switzerland.

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Chinese investors: underestimated fears, unsustainable economic policy

Prof. Damian Raess' article "Die Ängste vor chinesischen Investoren werden unterschätzt" was published online in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) on 3 April 2019.

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Updated Call for Papers: Biannual Symposium on Salient Issues in International Commercial Arbitration

The Center on International Commercial Arbitration is accepting submissions for its Biannual Symposium, which will be held on 14 November 2019 at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.

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Small is Beautiful: What does the current special and differential treatment discussion mean for small states?

Matthew Wilson, Chief of Staff and Chief Adviser to the Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC), delivered a Global Economic Governance Seminar Series lecture. His PowerPoint presentation is now available.

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International Economic Law and National Policies to Address Climate Change?

This guest lecture by Dr. Ilaria Espa took place in the context of the course on International Economic Law and the Pursuit of Core Societal Values.

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How Does WTO Dispute Settlement Really Work?

This guest lecture by Dr. Christian Häberli, Senior Fellow at the WTI, took place in the context of the course on International Economic Dispute Resolution.

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Loan conversions and currency mismatches: Undoing Swiss franc mortgage loans in Eastern Europe

A Brown Bag Seminar delivered by Dr. Pinar Yeşin, Economic Advisor at the Swiss National Bank and an Economics Lecturer at the University of Zurich.

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Experiences with investors from China in the German industry: Results from an empirical study in 2017

A Brown Bag Seminar by Wolfgang Müller. This was the second of a two-part Brown Bag seminar on the topic of "The Political Economy of Chinese Investment in Europe".

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New Developments in Services Trade II

Pierre Sauvé, Senior Trade Specialist in the Geneva office of the World Bank Group, delivered his second Global Economic Governance Seminar Series lecture on the topic of services trade.

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World Trade Forum 2019 Call for Papers

This Book Track - Call for Papers is on the topic of "International Economic Dispute Settlement: Demise or Transformation". Papers that are selected are expected to be published as part of an edited volume (World Trade Forum Series, Cambridge University Press).

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Recap: CLISEL conference

The conference on “Connecting environmental changes and human mobility as a way to draw new maps of knowledge” took place from 3–6 March 2019 at the Congress Centre Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland.

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The Demand-Side Politics of China’s Global Buying Spree: Individual Attitudes toward Chinese Inward FDI Flows in Comparative Perspective

WTI Working Paper 02/2019 by SNSF Professor Damian Raess investigates public opinion toward Chinese FDI inflows in Switzerland. Prof. Raess delivered a Brown Bag Seminar on 12 March at the WTI on the same topic.

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Strengthening and Modernizing the WTO

Stephen de Boer, Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, delivered a lecture to a full house at the WTI on Wednesday. His seminar was a part of the WTI's Global Economic Governance Seminar Series.

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WTI signs MoU with Amity University

Prof Peter Van den Bossche and Prof Gurinder Singh signed the MoU during the INBUSH ERA World Summit 2019 at Amity University India in February.

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Coming up on 6 March: Strengthening and Modernizing the World Trade Organization

Stephen de Boer, Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, delivered a lecture to a full house at the WTI on Wednesday. His seminar was a part of the WTI's Global Economic Governance Seminar Series.

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Adjudication of the GATT security clause: to be or not to be?

WTI Working Paper 01/2019 by Iryna Bogdanova discusses whether WTO tribunals have jurisdiction over the security clause and whether the clause is justiciable.

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WTI Conference on Dispute Settlement: Session transcripts to be released soon

Session transcripts from the WTI's 4 February 2019 conference "What Kind of Dispute Settlement for the WTO?" held at the WTO in Geneva will be released soon.

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Registration open for online CLISEL module

The March 1-15 online module “Climate Security. Training module on climate change, migration and security from the local authorities’ perspective” is intended for Italian authorities.

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WTI Conference on 'What Kind of Dispute Settlement for the WTO?'

This conference is open to the public and will be held at the World Trade Organization in Geneva. It will feature presentations by academics, practitioners and government officials.

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The Return of the Home State to Investor-State Disputes: Bringing Back Diplomatic Protection?

This book, by Rodrigo Polanco, was published by Cambridge University Press in December 2018. Read the description and reviews here.

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Peter Van den Bossche honored at International Colloquium

The colloquium "Restoring Trust in Trade" was held at the Maastricht University Faculty of Law on 17 December 2018.

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Registration closes soon for the 2019-2020 MILE and TRAIL+ programmes and 2019 Winter Academy

Applications for the MILE and TRAIL+ (LL.M.) programmes are accepted until 31 January 2019. Winter Academy registration is also open, but closing soon. Apply today!

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17th Edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition

The 2019 JHJMCC (formerly EMC2) is based on a fictional case co-written by Rodrigo Polanco Lazo and MILE alumna Maria Corvaglia. Three current TRAIL+ students and one student from the University of Bern's Faculty of Law will participate in this year's competition.

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WTI Trade Winds Newsletter 4/2018

The final newsletter of 2018 features an introduction by Peter Van den Bossche, and is available on our website.

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Recap: Environmental Humanities Training School 2018

The CLISEL training school was an important contribution in the current debate on (multi-level) migration governance issues and brought together policy-makers, members of academia and media operators for a fruitful dialogue on these topical questions.

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National security safeguards, trade wars and WTO dispute settlement in crisis.

This lecture by Lothar Ehring, Senior Expert in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade, was a part of the Global Economic Governance Seminar Series.

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TradeLawGuide: A valuable tool for students and researchers

The founder of TradeLawGuide.com spoke to students at the WTI about the website’s innovative tools for researching WTO law. MILE 19 student, Daniil Orlov, told us how the website will benefit him in his studies.

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Global Economic Governance Seminar Series: China and the multilateral trading system

By Hong Zhao, Member of the WTO Appellate Body.

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Recap: TP1 Workshop

Panelists Anqi Wang and Sean Stacy gave their input regarding the 30 November TP1 Workshop, which featured a speech by Prof. Bart Kerremans on Transatlantic Trade Relations in the Trump Era: Will the 2018 Mid-Elections Make a Difference?

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CLISEL to train local authorities at upcoming Environmental Humanities Training School 2018

CLISEL will deliver a training module for local authorities on the topic of “Migration governance issues: Local authorities at the front line in times of climate change and security.”

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Migration, Trade and the Global Economy

On 8 December, Prof. em. Thomas Cottier and Amanda Bisong (MILE 12 alumna) will present at this side event of the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which takes place in Marrakesh.

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Global Economic Governance Seminar Series: Negotiation and decision- making in the WTO II

By Victor do Prado, Director of Council and TNC Division at the WTO. To see all of our past lectures in this series, please visit the Special Lectures section of our website, available under the Outreach tab.

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Recap: Conference on Big Data and Trade

by Clarence Siziba, WTI PhD researcher. The Conference on Big Data and Global Trade Law took place at the University of Lucerne, from 16-17 November 2018.

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India and the Multilateral Trading System

By Ujal Singh Bhatia, Chairman of the WTO Appellate Body. This lecture was a part of the Global Economic Governance Seminar Series. This series is open to the public.

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Data flows restrictions and GATS security exception

Brown Bag Seminar by Martina Francesca Ferracane

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Switzerland and the multilateral trading system

This lecture by H.E. Didier Chambovey, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to WTO, was a part of the WTI's Global Economic Governance Seminar Series. These lectures are open to the public.

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Thomas Graham (WTO Appellate Body): The US and the multilateral trading system

This lecture is a part of the Global Economic Governance Seminar Series and is open to the public.

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Negotiation and decision-making in the WTO I

By Victor do Prado, Director of Council and TNC Division at the WTO. This lecture is open to the public.

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Learning That There Is No ‘Edge of the World’: The Pacific Islands, Climate Change and our Common Concern

Aylin Yildiz, doctoral candidate as a part of the CLI_M_CO2 project at the WTI, spent three months in Fiji and Samoa to investigate climate-induced migration.

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Brown Bag Seminar by Marion Jansen and Olga Solleder: SME Competitiveness Outlook 2018: Business Ecosystems for the Digital Age

The second WTI Brown Bag Seminar of the fall semester will take place in the Silva Casa Auditorium.

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Global Economic Governance Seminar Series Lecture 'Defending Development: The Politics of Developing Country Coalitions at the WTO'

By Shree Servansing, Member of the WTO Appellate Body

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WTI hosts mid-career training course for Indian government officials

For the second time, the WTI organised a mid-career training of officials from the Indian Trade Service, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India, jointly with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

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Brown Bag Seminar on 1 November by Marion Jansen and Olga Solleder: SME Competitiveness Outlook 2018: Business Ecosystems for the Digital Age

The second WTI Brown Bag Seminar of the fall semester will take place in the Silva Casa Auditorium.

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Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to CH and LI kicks off Global Economic Governance Seminar Series

The 22 October lecture was the first in the 2018/2019 school year seminar series, which features lectures by Ambassadors, Appellate Body Members, professors and other experts in the field of international trade.

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The WTI's Global Economic Governance Seminar Series

This series features expert lecturers speaking on the topics of international trade, finance, development and more, and is open to the public.

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Interdisciplinary at its best: Rainbow trout, musicology and international trade

Sebastian Klotz, research fellow and doctoral candidate at the WTI, presented at the University of Bern event: “8x8’ – Young Researchers present”

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Privacy and Consumer Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Rodrigo Polanco was on the panel of Session 82 at the World Trade Organization Public Forum 2018. The panel focused on personal data protection and AI.

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MILE alumnus and WTI research fellow becomes AIPPI Executive Director

Dr. Arno Hold accepted the appointment of Executive Director of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). His appointment began 27 August 2018.

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Press Release: World Trade Forum 2018

The press release for the 2018 World Trade Forum is now available. The event takes place from 28 - 29 September at the EUI in Florence. Registration is still open.

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Class gets underway for the 2018-2019 MILE and TRAIL+ programmes

This year’s MILE and TRAIL+ students officially began their courses on 17 September, starting with Global Political Economy, International Economics and International Trade Regulation.

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Call for Applications: Environmental Humanities Training School 2018

The CLISEL training school focuses on "Loss, Damage and Mobility in the context of Climate Change", and takes place in Naples, Italy from 12-14 December.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Diego Ures

MILE 7 alumnus, Diego Ures, tells the WTI about his current position as a partner at Sidera Consult and how the MILE benefited him in his career path.

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Book Launch at the WTO Public Forum

The official book launch of the Elgar Encyclopedia of International Economic Law will take place at the WTO Public Forum on October 4th, 2018 from 13.00-14.00 in the Atrium.

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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) episode features policy paper by Joseph Francois et al.

The policy paper was featured in Season 5, Episode 81 of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver which aired on 19 August, 2018. The episode focused on US President Donald Trump’s trade war.

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New journal article: Labor Provisions in Trade Agreements (LABPTA): Introducing a New Dataset

Article by Damian Raess and Dora Sari published in Global Policy (2018) by Wiley, in free access until the end of September 2018.

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New journal article: Empirical estimates of the methane–income elasticity

WTI Working Paper No. 04/2017 by Octavio Fernández-Amador, Joseph Francois, Doris Oberdabernig and Patrick Tomberger. This working paper was published in Economics Letters (Elsevier), Vol. 171 (2018) pp 137-139.

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World Trade Forum 2018: Programme Released

The press release for the 2018 World Trade Forum is now available. The event takes place from 28 - 29 September at the EUI in Florence. Registration is still open.

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Society of International Economic Law elects Peter Van den Bossche president

At its 2018 conference in Washington DC from 12 to 14 July, the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) elected Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the World Trade Institute and professor of International Economic Law at the University of Bern, as its president for the next three ...

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Consuelo Orihuela and Teresa Mera

Consuelo Orihuela and Teresa Mera, both from Peru, attended the MILE on consecutive years and graduated in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Both have gone on to serve in the Peruvian government. In this interview, they talk about their work and how the WTI helped them get to where they are ...

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Trade Policy Under Brexit: Thomas Cottier’s interview with CIGI

In a filmed interview with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Thomas Cottier discusses Brexit and the WTO.

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New journal article: Encouraging Sustainable Foreign Investment to the LDCs: Options for Support

No. 3 (2018) Occasional Policy Papers Series On The Least Developed Countries, co-written by Rodrigo Polanco and Americo Zampetti

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WTI opens its doors to summer studies participants

International students from far and wide are converging on Bern for the start of the annual WTI Summer Academy, which offers three weeks of trade and investment-focused teaching from 9 to 27 July.

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New book: The Pacific Alliance in a World of Preferential Trade Agreements - 2019

Edited by: Pierre Sauvé, Rodrigo Polanco Lazo, José Manuel Álvarez Zárate This book is part of the United Nations University Series on Regionalism. ABSTRACT: This volume focuses on one of the most innovative deep integration constructs, The Pacific Alliance, which aims at expanding the frontiers of trade and investment governance ...

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Master’s programmes draw to a close

The teaching year for students on the 2017-2018 advanced master programmes at the WTI has officially ended with a closing ceremony at the University of Bern.

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WTI professor participates in EU free trade agreements workshop

Damian Raess, a faculty member and research project leader at the WTI, participated as a panellist in a workshop on 'The future of sustainable development chapters in EU free trade agreements' held in Brussels on 19 June.

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WTI alumna receives writing prize for LL.M. thesis at Harvard

Tetyana Payosova, a WTI alumna and researcher, has been awarded the Roger Fisher and Frank E. A. Sander Prize for her LL.M. thesis on ‘Mediation in the Future WTO Dispute Settlement Governance’ by the Harvard Law School in the United States.

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Common Concern conference showcases project conclusions

The WTI’s Common Concern project held a conference at the institute on 22 and 23 June to present its initial conclusions.

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Swiss embassy event marks Joint Academy in India

The Swiss embassy in Delhi marked the latest edition of the WTI-co-organised Joint Summer Academy in India by hosting a reception for participants during the second week. The embassy event was also attended by MILE alumni and other stakeholders.

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WTI doctoral researcher named one of Forbes 30 under 30

Marietta Angeli, a PhD candidate at the World Trade Institute, has been named by Forbes Magazine’s German edition as one of its 30 under 30 influential people in 2018 in the category Science and Health.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Miguel Rodriguez Cuadros

A trade lawyer in the private sector, Miguel Rodriguez Cuadros has worked for a number of multinational companies in Switzerland and Germany since graduation. In this interview he traces his professional journey and talks about the challenges of the new era of globalisation.

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New journal article: Missing Investment Treaties

Journal article by Rodrigo Polanco, Valentino Desilvestro and Azernoosh Bazrafkan in Journal of International Economic Law

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WTI-supported Elsa Moot Court moves into final round

The 16th edition of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) moot court competition is heading into the final oral round, to be held at the World Trade Organization in Geneva from 19 to 24 June.

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Job opening: PhD candidate in Law

The WTI is currently recruiting a PhD candidate in Law to work on the research project “Switzerland’s Sustainability Footprint: Economic and Legal Challenges”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

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New DESTA dataset project launched

The World Trade Institute and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have launched a new collaborative project aimed at creating a dataset on global value chains (GVCs) in preferential trade agreements (PTAs).

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Canada puts the focus on progressive trade

Canada is following a new approach to trade policy that contributes to the government’s broader economic, social and environmental policy priorities.

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Qatar needs greater food security

WTI Fellow Christian Häberli attended a two-day inter-agency workshop in Doha (18-19 April 2018) to share knowledge and experiences on food security and sustainability in Qatar, which is subject to a trade boycott by its Gulf neighbours.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Verona Collantes

A graduate of the second MILE intake, Verona Collantes advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of women in the climate change process and was a contributor to the Paris Agreement. She says the WTI master’s programme opened doors for her at the WTO and UN in Geneva paving the ...

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Alumnus publishes book based on his PhD thesis

Karolis Gudas, who completed his PhD in law at the World Trade Institute last year, has published a book based on his research: The Law and Policy of International Trade in Electricity.

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World Trade Forum 2018 book project: Call for proposals

The World Trade Forum 2018 co-organised by the World Trade Institute will take place at the European University Institute Florence on 28 and 29 September. This year's topic is 'International Trade, Foreign Investment, and the Sustainable Development Agenda'.

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1st Swiss UN day hears call for countries to put common concerns first

Environmental change, trade wars and migration - the international community is currently facing huge challenges. Switzerland too, 15 years after it joined the United Nations, is challenged to consider its role and whether that includes being a bridge-builder to a better world.

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MILE graduate: scholarships enabled me to pursue an unpaid internship

Hiba Batool, a graduate of the 2017 MILE master’s programme, was the first recipient of two new WTI scholarships: the John Jackson Internship award (JJIF) and the World Bank Geneva Internship Programme award. She gave us this interview on completion of her six-month internship at the International Trade Centre, ITC, ...

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Examining the geoeconomics of the 21st century

Michael Lind, co-founder and fellow of the think tank New America, gave a lecture at the WTI on 14 March focused on the geoeconomics of the 21st century and the prospects for global growth following the great recession of 2008-9.

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WTI researcher awarded prize for legal thesis

WTI associate researcher Charlotte Sieber-Gasser has been awarded the prestigious Walther Hug prize for her PhD thesis completed at the WTI.

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Trade Lecture on WTO dispute settlement held in Geneva

The second lecture in the Trade Lecture Sessions at the WTO series – on the subject of ‘The Future of WTO Dispute Settlement’ – took place on Friday 9 March at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

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Protecting labour rights in PTAs: the role of trade unions (and more)

SNSF Professor Damian Raess has just published an article entitled “Protecting labor rights in PTAs: the role of trade unions, left governments, and skilled labor” (co-authored with Andreas Dür, and Dora Sari) in The Review of International Organizations (see abstract below).

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Policy brief: Proposed US tariffs on steel will cost five jobs for every one gained

If the United States goes ahead with applying tariffs on steel and aluminium imports a ripple effect will be felt throughout the economy, according to a policy paper by Joseph Francois, Managing Director of the World Trade Institute, and Laura M. Baughman, President of the Trade Partnership.

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Full house at Brown Bag seminar by Christian Häberli

With the experience and insights that only a panellist in 20 stages of five WTO dispute settlement cases can have, WTI Fellow Christian Häberli gave a Brown Bag lunch seminar at the WTI on 15 February on the topic: WTO Dispute Settlement: How Does it Really Work?

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Mohamad Fakhreddin

Mohamad Fakhreddin, a graduate of the MILE 15 intake, studied industrial engineering before changing tack to follow an interest in business and social entrepreneurship. After working at the International Trade Centre in Geneva, he is now studying for a doctorate in Germany. Mohamad had the opportunity to talk about his ...

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Alumni represent WTI at Gujarat International Moot Court

The 10th edition of the Gujarat International Moot Court (GIMC) competition, of which the WTI has been a proud sponsor for nine years, took place at Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), India from 7 to 11 February.

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New look Summer Academy offers trade and investment tracks

The WTI’s annual Summer Academy to be held from 9 to 27 July this year follows a dual-track approach for the first time, offering courses on trade and sustainable development and also on investment topics.

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WTI and Ecuadorean university USFQ sign cooperation agreement

The World Trade Institute (WTI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Ecuador.

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Political scientist awarded PhD

Simon Wüthrich, a doctoral researcher in political science at the WTI since 2015, was awarded his PhD at a ceremony of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Bern on 23 January.

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Graduate presents at WTO Ministerial Conference

Rutendo Tavengerwei, a recent graduate of the MILE master’s programme, was invited to speak at a session on trade facilitation during the WTO’s 11th Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in December.

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Opening up the northern sea route will “change the face of trade”

With the Arctic ice melting faster than ever before it is now just a matter of time until the northern sea route connecting Europe to Asia is open to shipping all year round.

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Labour clauses in trade agreements promote Southern exports to the North

Column in VOX EU by Céline Carrère, Marcelo Olarreaga and Damian Raess

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Marta Soprana

Trade policy advisor Marta Soprana first discovered the World Trade Institute through its Summer Academy and then went on to enrol on the MILE 11 programme. She has maintained a strong connection to the WTI as an enthusiastic mentor of MILE students. Now with her own business in Lugano, she ...

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WTI launches new sustainability project

The WTI has won funding for a major new research project entitled, ‘Switzerland’s Sustainability Footprint: Economic and Legal Challenges’.

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DESTA wins award for best dataset

The Design of Trade Agreements (DESTA) research project has been named best dataset by the International Political Economy Society (IPES) for the year 2017.

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Rodrigo Polanco interviewed at PUCP

WTI faculty member and senior researcher Rodrigo Polanco recently returned from a teaching trip to Chile and Peru organised within the WTI-SECO programme. He gave courses in international investment law at the University of Chile’s Institute of International Studies and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). During his stay ...

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Conference stresses role of migration in sustainable development

Professor Thomas Cottier and researcher Rosa Losada represented the World Trade Institute at a conference on migration and development held in Bern on 10 November.

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New book: Elgar Encyclopedia of International Economic Law

Edited by Thomas Cottier and Krista Nadakavukaren Schefer ABSTRACT: The Encyclopedia is the definitive reference work on international economic law. This comprehensive resource helps redefine the field by presenting international economic law in its broadest, real-world context. The book launch and Meet the Author for the Encyclopedia was held at ...

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Special Lecture: WTO Policy Space and Industrial Policy in Developing Countries

by Colette Van der Ven (Sidley Austin LPP)

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Brown Bag seminar on 9 November: Iran's Accession to the World Trade Organization

Brown Bag Seminar by Sadeq Z. Bigdeli, member of the Law Faculty at Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran)

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Special Lecture on 30 October: Global Economic Governance in Times of Anti-Globalisation and Economic Nationalism

by Arancha Gonzalez

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WTI professor makes presentation on migration at UN

Professor Elisa Fornalé of the WTI was invited to address a United Nations thematic session on migration in Geneva on 13 October.

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Visiting research fellow delivers inaugural lecture as professor of law

Pamela Andanda, a visiting research fellow at the WTI in 2011-12, delivered her inaugural lecture as professor of law at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, on 4 October.

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World Trade Forum gets to grips with trade policy in turbulent times

The annual World Trade Forum held on 6 and 7 October in Grindelwald, Switzerland marked the culmination of the 12-year WTI-hosted NCCR Trade Regulation research project.

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WTI alumni come together in Geneva

The WTO Public Forum, which took place at the end of September, provided an occasion for the latest gathering of WTI alumni.

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WTI Fellows take part in ASEAN forum in Bangkok

WTI Fellows Sufian Jusoh and Christian Häberli participated in the ASEAN Economic Integration Forum 2017 (AEIF 2017) held in Bangkok on 14 and 15 September and co-organised by the World Trade Institute.

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2017-18 graduate study programmes open

On 18 September the WTI held a ceremony to officially launch the 2017-2018 graduate studies programme and welcome new students to the institute.

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WTI participates in WTO Public Forum

Researchers from the World Trade Institute will be taking part in this year’s World Trade Organization Public Forum on the theme of ‘Trade behind the headlines’.

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US foreign policy under Trump: implications for Europe and global trade

The WTI was pleased to host a distinguished lecture by Dr James Lindsay, a leading authority on American foreign policy-making, on 14 September.

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Graduate study programmes set to open

On 18 September a ceremony will take place at the WTI to launch the 2017-2018 graduate study programmes.

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Interview with Summer Academy alumnus Gianluca Cicchiello

Lawyer Gianluca Cicchiello, a graduate of the 2016 Summer Academy on international trade regulation, shares his impressions of the course and talks about how it helped him in his work.

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Students give Summer Academy high marks

The 15th annual WTI Summer Academy – seven weeks of teaching on investment and trade law and policy – has drawn to a close.

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New book: The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization - Text, Cases and Materials

4th edition of a volume by Peter Van den Bossche. ABSTRACT: Retaining the signature clarity and depth that made it an instant classic, this new fourth edition of The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization examines both the institutional and substantive law of the World Trade Organization (WTO). ...

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"The middle class has not profited as much from increased integration in world markets"

WTI Deputy Managing Director Manfred Elsig was recently interviewed about globalisation, populism and the rise of civil society in the US. To watch the video, please click on the link below.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Sergey Lakhno

Lawyer Sergey Lakhno, a graduate of the MILE 3 intake, has recently returned to the public sector after ten years with a major industrial company in Ukraine. Before that he was involved in preparing Ukraine for accession to the World Trade Organization. In this interview he talks about the role ...

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New Transferable Skills Programme for PhD candidates and Postdocs at the University of Bern

As well as earning an academic qualification, i.e. the thesis, the goal of a PhD education at the University of Bern is to acquire transferable skills so as to prepare PhD candidates for a demanding position within or outside academia.

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WTI Lecturer Videos: Joseph Francois

Professor Francois gives a foretaste of his course on International Economics, which will be taught in the first semester of the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme that opens on 18 September.

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Successful WTI-CWS Joint Academy held in India

The fourth edition of the WTI-CWS Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy took place from 5 to 30 June at the premises of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) in New Delhi.

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15th Summer Academy gets underway

The fifteenth edition of the World Trade Institute Summer Academy on international law and economics is underway, bringing together government representatives, scholars and practitioners from around the world.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Lerato Ntlopo

For MILE 10 graduate Lerato Ntlopo the MILE was a stepping stone to a career in international trade that has taken her from Geneva to Windhoek with various stops in between. In addition to her work with the Southern African Customs Union, she is undertaking a PhD in trade in ...

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From fragmentation to coherence – 12 years on

The NCCR Trade Regulation hosted by the World Trade Institute comes to an end this year. The review panel visited the WTI on 26 June to make a final assessment of the project’s achievements over the past 12 years.

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Conference hears call to empower migrants

François Crépeau, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, made a call for a principled response to migration challenges in a speech on populism and migration at the World Trade Institute on 22 June.

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A MILEstone in the lives of our students

The 17th Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme came to an official close on 23 June with a ceremony at the University of Bern attended by students and faculty members.

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MILE 17 class competes in WTO law moot court

Students in the MILE programme have taken part in the annual World Trade Organization (WTO) law moot court – this year held at WTO premises in Geneva.

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WTI hosts successful investment conference

The World Trade Institute (WTI) hosted a conference entitled 'Is a Multilateral Investment Treaty Needed?'on 19 June with the support of the World Economic Forum and the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS). Transnational Dispute Management (TDM) was the media partner.

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WTI Director of Studies delivers talk at Swiss embassy reception

Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies at the WTI, delivered a trade lecture at a reception at the Swiss embassy in Delhi on 15 June, entitled The World Trade Organization in the Face of Anti-Globalisation and Economic Nationalism.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Faisal Siddiqui

Faisal Siddiqui joined the MILE 3 programme with a degree in international relations and went on to build a career as a political officer with the United Nations. In this interview he outlines his career path and explains how the MILE helped him hone his professional skills.

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NCCR Global Series 11: Trump, Trade and Canada

The latest in the NCCR Global Series of events – a one-day academic workshop on 'Trade and Investment Law Challenges in the Trump Era: What is the role of Canada?' – was held at the University of Ottawa, Canada on 16 May.

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South African MILE alumni form network

The inaugural meeting of the South African MILE Alumni Network took place in the residence of the Swiss Ambassador to South Africa, Her Excellency Mrs Helene Budliger Artieda, in Pretoria on 11 May.

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Helping students reach their potential

Since 2015 the WTI has offered a mentoring project for MILE students. Students taking up the offer are matched up with a specially selected member of the MILE alumni who takes them under their wing and helps them to establish themselves professionally.

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Looking ahead to the WTI Summer Academy

Applications are still being accepted for the World Trade Institute’s 15th annual Summer Academy on trade and investment to be held from 3 July to 25 August 2017.

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“There was a need for guidance and career advice”

Sascha Finger, who along with Corinne Karlaganis has responsibility for alumni within the WTI communications team, answers questions about the MILE mentorship programme that is now in its third year, in the first of two interviews about student mentoring at the WTI.

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Brexit: agriculture report published

UK parliamentary report on consequences of Brexit for agriculture, with expert evidence provided by Christian Häberli

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CLISEL holds project workshop on 'Migration as adaptation?'

The third event in the CLISEL workshop series on climate change, migration, security: the role of city councils took place on Friday, 21 April at the University of Cagliari, Italy.

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Karolis Gudas awarded a PhD from the WTI

Karolis Gudas, a national of Lithuania who enrolled on the WTI PhD programme in 2014, successfully defended his thesis in Bern on 15 March. In this interview Karolis, who had previously studied law in Vilnius, London and Reykjavik, tells us about his thesis topic and his experience of studying at ...

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Global Series No.10: Workshop on new regionalism

The NCCR Trade Regulation and McGill University, Canada, held a workshop on ‘New Regionalism 2.0: The Shifting Horizon of Preferential Liberalization’ in Montreal on 19 April.

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WTI-sponsored ELSA Moot Court heads towards final round

The last regional round of the 15th European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) moot court competition, held in Grahamstown, South Africa, came to a close on 13 April. The final oral round will take place in Geneva in June.

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WTI Lecturer Videos: Pierre Sauvé

Member of external faculty Pierre Sauvé presents his course on Trade in Services in the latest in the WTI's new Lecturer Video Series.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Nadia Vassos

Canadian Nadia Vassos, who graduated from the MILE programme five years ago, has since carved out a career in international trade policy. In this interview, she says the legal knowledge and negotiation skills she acquired on the MILE have proved particularly useful in her current role with the Canadian Competition ...

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Successful export support project completed in Colombia

The WTI SECO programme provided funding for two short seminars for Colombian producers-exporters, industry representatives and government officials, which were held in Cali (22-24 March) and Bogotá (27-29 March) with the support of government export agency PROCOLOMBIA.

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Global Series No. 9: Workshop on Trade Agreements

The NCCR Trade Regulation and the Center of European Policy Studies (CEPS) organised a workshop on trade agreements and a public lunch lecture in Brussels on 27 March.

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New Lecturer Video Series

Professor Manfred Elsig presents his course on Global Political Economy in the latest in the WTI's new Lecturer Video Series.

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Adaptation of Agricultural Trade and Investment Rules to Climate Change

WTI Fellow Christian Häberli has contributed a chapter to the new Research Handbook on Climate Change and Agriculture Law published by Edward Elgar.

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WTI co-organises first ‘Trade Lecture’ at WTO

‘Bilateral and plurilateral agreements: Supporting or challenging the WTO?’ was the title of the first in the ‘Trade Lecture Series’ co-organised by the WTI and the Israeli Mission to the World Trade Organization, and held at the WTO in Geneva on 9 March.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Xiaolu Zhu

Lawyer Xiaolu Zhu, a graduate of MILE 3, has been working in the WTO Appellate Body Secretariat since 2006 following a stint as an international legal consultant. She says the MILE programme kick-started her legal career by introducing her to the firm that would employ her upon graduation.

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WTI investment conference: call for papers

The World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern hosts a conference entitled 'Is a Multilateral Investment Treaty Needed?' on 19 June 2017 with the support of the World Economic Forum and the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS).

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WTI partners at WTO@20 Conference in Delhi

The final in a series of WTO@20 conferences taking stock of two decades of jurisprudential and key policy developments in the multilateral trading system and organised by the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization took place in Delhi, India, from 16 to 18 February.

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WTI delivers trade negotiation training in Nepal

The WTI - through its trainers Dr Koen Berden and Dr Christian Häberli – gave a three-day course in Nepal on 'Trade Negotiations with a focus on Multilateral, Regional and Bilateral Trade Negotiations' on 6-8 February.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Susana Wong

MILE 13 graduate Susana Wong works as a university teacher, project manager and researcher on cross-border trade issues. A native of Costa Rica, she maintains close ties with Switzerland and hopes to start a PhD in Lausanne this year.

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WTI provides answers to British parliament Brexit inquiry

WTI Fellow Christian Häberli submitted written replies to the Brexit Inquiry at the House of Lords, the upper house of the British parliament, at the beginning of February.

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WTI represented at Gujarat moot court

Faculty member Rodrigo Polanco represented the World Trade Institute at the 9th GNLU International Moot Court Competition (GIMC) held in Gandhinagar on 1-5 February and involving around 50 teams from major law schools in India and abroad.

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Trump and the challenges to the multilateral trading system

'The United States, Europe, and China: Imminent Challenges to the Multilateral Trading System' was the subject of a distinguished lecture by Chad Bown, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC and Research Fellow at CEPR in London at the World Trade Institute on 6 February.

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Azevedo stresses growing importance of services in world trade

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Research Handbook on Trade in Services’, co-edited by Pierre Sauvé of the World Trade Institute, World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo highlighted the increasing contribution of services to world trade.

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What Trump could mean for US foreign policy

How will President Trump shape United States foreign policy, in particular in regard to trade, finance and development aid? Just days before the 45th US president is sworn in, the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern hosted a roundtable discussion to consider these questions.

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WTI takes part in Platform on International Energy Governance

The WTI has joined the newly created Platform on International Energy Governance that brings together leading world universities and research centres active in the field of international energy law and policy.

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SNIS project workshop takes stock of first year

The output of the first year of a Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) collaborative project was discussed at a workshop held at the WTI at 9 December.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Adriana Perez Gil Ochoa

A growing interest in international trade law, investment and dispute settlement led Adriana Perez Gil Ochoa to pursue a Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) at the WTI. Three years after graduating she is putting what she learned to use at the Mexican Trade Ministry. In an interview with ...

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WTI partners with SIECA to train Central American stakeholders on trade facilitation

Pierre Sauvé, the WTI’s Director for Programme Development, taught on the opening day of a five-day course on ‘Challenges of Governance of Trade and Integration in Central America: Trade Facilitation’ held at the headquarters of the Secretariat for Economic Integration in Central America (SIECA) in Guatamala City, Guatemala, on 5 ...

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"Being a member of the OECD means complying with a number of instruments and agreements"

The WTI's Director for Programme Development, Pierre Sauvé, is interviewed about what OECD membership would mean for Peru, and the challenges of the digital society, during a teaching visit to PUCP.

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WTO Appellate Body faces a ‘tsunami’ of cases

The current and future challenges facing the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization were the focus of a special lecture by its Chairman, Thomas R. Graham, at the WTO in Geneva on 22 November.

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WTI researcher wins 2016 International Geneva Award

Wolfgang Alschner, a postdoctoral researcher at the World Trade Institute (WTI), has been awarded this year's International Geneva Award of the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) for a paper published on the Transpacific Partnership Agreement.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Harsh Hiroo Gursahani

A MILE 11 graduate, Harsh Hiroo Gursahani has carved out a role as a successful trade lawyer in India where he produces policy papers for the government and advises private clients on food law. The WTI spoke to Harsh on the sidelines of the World Trade Forum in Florence at ...

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Open PhD position in Law

The WTI is offering a full-time doctoral position within the research project 'Framing Environmental Degradation, Human Mobility and Human Development as a Matter of Common Concern', funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

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Book Launch: International Investment Law in Latin America - Problems and Prospects

The University of Buenos Aires was the venue for the launch on 20 October of the bilingual volume ‘International Investment Law in Latin America: Problems and Prospects’ co-written and edited by WTI researcher and faculty member Rodrigo Polanco.

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Podcast: Brown Bag seminar

Brown Bag seminar on 'Germany’s Interest in the WTO' by Ambassador Walter Hugo Werner, Head of the WTO Unit at the Permanent Mission of Germany in Geneva and Alternate Permanent Representative to the WTO.

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Ambassador Luzius Wasescha (1946-2016): Chair of the Board of Trustees of the World Trade Institute

A tribute to Luzius Wasescha, who has died aged 70, by former WTI Managing Director Thomas Cottier.

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"Obesity is almost a bigger problem than hunger"

WTI Senior Researcher Dr Häberli was interviewed during a teaching visit to PUCP, a partner in the SECO programme.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Kholofelo Kugler

Kholofelo Kugler, a trained lawyer from South Africa and graduate of MILE 14, says the programme was a “natural next step” when she discovered an interest in international trade law. She now works at the ACWL in Geneva that gives advice and training to developing countries on World Trade Organization ...

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New publication: Research Handbook on Trade in Services

An important new volume by Pierre Sauvé, Director of Program Development and faculty member at the World Trade Institute, has just been published by Edward Elgar in its “Research Handbook on the WTO” series.

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WTI researcher presents at international environmental tax conference

Dr Kateryna Holzer, a researcher with the NCCR Trade Regulation, participated in the 17th Global Conference on Environmental Taxation, held at the University of Groningen, Netherlands.

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MILE alumni hold annual gathering in Geneva

The WTI MILE alumni held their annual meeting at the WTI Advisors offices in Geneva on the evening of 28 September on the sidelines of the WTO Public Forum.

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Doctoral programme academic year gets underway

The academic year 2016-2017 began for the 21 doctoral students enrolled at the WTI on 27 September.

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Alumni converge on Geneva for WTO Public Forum

The World Trade Organization (WTO) flagship event, the Public Forum, is underway in Geneva. On the theme of ‘Inclusive Trade’, discussions are being given over to how WTO rules can help everyone benefit from trade.

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World Trade Forum 2016 draws to a close

'Behind-the-Border Policies and Global Trade' was the theme of the World Trade Forum 2016 that took place from 23 to 24 September at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.

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Starting a journey of learning and discovery

Students participating in the 17th Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) master’s programme received a warm welcome to the World Trade Institute at an opening ceremony on 16 September.

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WTI researcher lectures in China

NCCR Trade Regulation researcher Ilaria Espa delivered four lectures at Renmin University of China Law School, Beijing, and Nankai University School of Law, Tianjin, from 12 to 16 September.

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“Even world-class programmes need to evolve”

Peter Van den Bossche assumed the post of Director of Studies at the World Trade Institute on 1 July. Here he talks about his association with the WTI, the benefits of studying at the Institute, and the need to adapt courses to changing times.

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Don't miss the MILE opening ceremony on 16 September!

The MILE 17 intake will be welcomed to Bern during an official ceremony.

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World Trade Forum 2016

On the topic, 'Behind-the-Border Policies and Global Trade'.The World Trade Forum 2016 will focus on the measurement and impacts of non-tariff measures and domestic regulation on international trade and investment and how such ‘behind-the-border’ policies are being/can be addressed in preferential trade agreements and the WTO.

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WTI project team organise a conference on sustainable employment

The WTI team involved in the r4d project ‘Employment Effects of Different Development Policy Instruments’ held their first conference at the World Trade Institute on 3 September, with participants from Switzerland, Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia.

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What will it take for ASEAN to achieve full economic integration?

The ASEAN Economic Integration Forum (AEIF) 2016, of which the WTI is a knowledge partner, will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 14-15 September 2016.

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Why trade tensions between China and the US/EU are rising

Ilaria Espa has published an article on the new raw materials dispute that threatens to revive trade tensions between China and the United States and European Union.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Thalis Andrade

Thalis Andrade, a graduate of the MILE 14 intake, is a trained lawyer who works in foreign trade analysis for the Brazilian government and also lectures on international trade law. He says the MILE programme allowed him to realise a dream of living abroad while studying a subject he loves.

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Don’t miss the date for Doctoral School early admission

If you are a Master’s-level graduate in economics, political science and law and want to embark on a PhD, the WTI could be the place for you.

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New book by WTI researcher addresses preferential services trade

‘Developing Countries and Preferential Services Trade’ is the title of a new book by WTI postdoctoral researcher Charlotte Sieber-Gasser published by Cambridge University Press.

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MILE alumni take part in Joint Academy in India

The third Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy co-organised by the WTI this year involved two graduates of the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme.

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WTI contributes to frontier research on innovation and internationalisation of services in Latin America

Innovation and internationalisation in services are key drivers of structural transformation, productivity growth and overall economic performance in Latin America, as a new book, co-edited by Pierre Sauvé, the WTI’s Director for Programme Development and a MILE faculty member, shows.

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Opening for two paid PhD positions at the WTI

The WTI is offering the opportunity to two political science graduates to join a new research project on globalisation as PhD candidates. The successful applicants will be involved in the “BRICs Globalization and Labor Protections in Advanced and Emerging Economics” project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The initial ...

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NCCR Trade Regulation showcased at WTO workshop in Costa Rica

WTI faculty and researchers took part in the Advanced Workshop of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in San Jose, Costa Rica, from 20 to 24 June at which NCCR research was highlighted.

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WTI lands prestigious European research project

The World Trade Institute (WTI) has won sought-after European Union financial backing for a project examining the role of local authorities in tackling climate change.

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WTI-sponsored ELSA moot court final round held in Geneva

Between 7 and 12 June the Final Oral Round of the 14th ELSA Moot Court Competition on WTO Law took place in Geneva with WTI researchers and alumni serving as panellists.

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Beyond sanctions: responding to the Ukraine-Russia conflict

Steven Pifer, who spent 25 years with the US State department and served as ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000, delivered a distinguished lecture at the WTI on 14 June on the West’s response to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

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WTI completes core academic team

The WTI is pleased to announce the arrival of new professors in the coming months to enhance the Institute’s teaching offer and complete its core group of academic staff.

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WTI hosts migration and human rights workshop

Professor François Crépeau, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, was the key speaker at a meeting of the Swiss Civil Society platform at the WTI on 2 June.

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Energy reForum conference attracts high-level participants

The Energy reForum 16 conference that took place on 2-3 June in Vilnius, with support from the WTI, brought together some 200 participants from the private sector, government and academia, including from the WTI and NCCR Trade Regulation research project.

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WTI researchers participate in LASA jubilee conference

The Latin American Studies Association (LASA) celebrated its 50th anniversary with a conference held from 27 to 30 May in New York. Three WTI researchers were part of the conference programme that brought together academics, scholars and political figures.

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Protecting the oceans against plastic pollution

Sustainability – whether in the use of raw materials, or in the areas of food and agriculture, climate and water – is central to a number of research projects conducted at the WTI. Sustainability in law is a particular focus. An interview with Judith Wehrli, who is researching the legal ...

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'Making the Commodity Sector Work for Developing Countries'

Switzerland occupies an important position in the global trade of hard and soft commodities. Companies headquartered within its borders directly or indirectly shape commodity extraction practices around the world, some of which carry considerable negative environmental and social risks on the ground, particularly in fragile contexts. Minimising these risks and ...

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MILE graduate to speak on economic integration in Central America

Former MILE student Javier A. Gutiérrez will return to the WTI on 27 May to give a Brown Bag seminar on the challenges and opportunities for Central America as it heads in the direction of economic integration.

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WTI researchers participate in Commons in a Glocal World conference

Three WTI researchers took part in the regional conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) at the University of Bern from 10 to 13 May.

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WTI takes part in trade and environment workshop

WTI senior researcher Ilaria Espa presented at a workshop on ‘Trade and Environment: Positive Integration in the EU and the WTO’ at Ruhr Universität Bochum, Germany, on 9-10 May.

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WTI presents study on EU-India trade pact

The World Trade Institute (WTI) co-organised a discussion on the impact of a potential EU-India bilateral trade and investment agreement in New Delhi on 22 April.

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WTI researcher presents at International Conference in Milan

Ilaria Espa took part in the “What Energy Union” international conference at Bocconi University, Milan, on 29-30 April.

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Tomorrow’s Silk Road: Assessing an EU-China Free Trade Agreement

A team from the WTI, led by Prof. Joseph Francois, has contributed towards an independent analysis of a possible EU-China free trade area (FTA). The study was commissioned by the Foreign Trade Association and carried out by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

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WTI researcher presents at commodities and development meeting in Geneva

Dr Ilaria Espa was a panellist and presented a paper at the eighth session of the Multi-year Expert Meeting on Commodities and Development held at UNCTAD, Geneva, on 21-22 April.

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International forum to discuss EU energy developments

An international energy forum co-organised by the World Trade Institute (WTI) will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania on 2-3 June.

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Secure your place on the WTI Summer Academy

Enrolment is underway for the World Trade Institute’s 14th annual Summer Academy on trade and investment to be held from 4 July to 5 August 2016.

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What will TTIP mean for the UK?

Dr Koen Berden, Director of Outreach at the World Trade Institute, presented the "TTIP and the EU Member States” study at a Euractiv-organised panel in London on 24 March.

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Rosa Losada elected to Swiss migration platform

WTI researcher Rosa Losada has been elected to serve on the Swiss Civil Society Platform on Migration and Development (mdplatform).

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Marina Foltea

MILE 4 graduate Marina Foltea talks about her journey from Moldova to Switzerland, where she has set up her own international trade and investment law advisory service, Trade Pacts, and shares advice with current students on the graduate programme.

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Gujarat International Moot Court held with WTI support

The WTI-sponsored annual Gujarat International Moot Court (GIMC) Competition has taken place for the eighth time at Gujarat National Law University, India.

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WTI awarded 2 new SNSF professorships

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has awarded 40 new professorships to outstanding young researchers. Thirteen of these went to the University of Bern, including two to the World Trade Institute (WTI).

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Koen Berden presents TTIP study and represents WTI at Ideas Lab

Dr Koen Berden, Director of Outreach at the World Trade Institute, presented the "TTIP and the EU Member States” study at the French representation of the European Parliament in Paris on 17 February.

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Switzerland and the Commodities Trade - Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

A factsheet by WTI and CDE researchers of the University of Bern. Contributors include Thomas Cottier, Manfred Elsig, Ilaria Espa and Stephen Gelb

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WTI researcher participates in E15 Initiative briefing at WTO in Geneva

Ilaria Espa took part in the E15 general briefing held at the World Trade Organization, Geneva, on 23 February as a member of the E15 task force on Rethinking International Subsidies Disciplines and of the expert group on Extractive Industries of the E15 Initiative.

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Ilaria Espa presents paper at University of Leuven international conference

WTI researcher Dr Ilaria Espa participated in the International Conference on Global Public Goods, Global Commons and Democracy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives organised by the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies at the Irish Institute, Leuven, on 22-23 February.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Aray Kassabekova

MILE 5 graduate Aray Kassabekova is one of several WTI alumni in Kazakhstan to have been involved in their country’s accession to the WTO on 30 November 2015. She tells the WTI how the MILE programme equipped her for the arduous work in store.

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Prof. Cottier gives signature lecture at CIGI in Ontario

Thomas Cottier, Emeritus Professor of Law and Senior Researcher at the WTI, has returned from a visit to Canada where he taught at the University of Ottawa and gave a signature lecture at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Ontario.

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WTI study: TTIP to bring benefits to EU

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is expected to deliver a range of economic and social benefits for EU citizens and businesses, a study by the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern has found.

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WTI reflections on multilateral governance showcased at Davos

Contributions from a number of WTI faculty members were made public at the World Economic Forum's Annual Conference in Davos, Switzerland. Contributors included Pierre Sauvé, Manfred Elsig, Mira Burri, Thomas Cottier, Ilaria Espa and several members of external faculty as well as alumni Yulia Selivanova and Marta Soprana.

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WTI takes part in first Spirit of Bern

The Spirit of Bern – a new platform for dialogue – held its inaugural meeting in Bern on 18 January.

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Digital trade poses dilemmas for regulators

A condensed version of an article by Mira Burri in German - Digitaler Handel stürzt Regulatoren ins Dilemma – published in the University of Bern magazine, Unipress

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Eugene Skrynnyk

Eugene Skrynnyk, a graduate of MILE 6, outlines his professional path in the private sector post WTI – from Ernst & Young (EY) to UBS and now Geneva Management Group – via Switzerland and Africa.

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The Spirit of Bern

All about harnessing the power of dialogue for bringing about positive change in society, the Spirit of Bern is a new platform involving experts from the worlds of economics, science and politics. The inaugural public meeting will be held in Bern on 18 January and feature presentations by WTI faculty ...

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Olga Nartova

Olga Nartova, a Russian lawyer and graduate of MILE 4, returned to the World Trade Institute as a research fellow in 2007 working on trade and climate change within the NCCR Trade Regulation after completing her doctorate. From the WTI she moved on to Dar Al-Hekma University in Jeddah, Saudi ...

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Training for the Malaysian Treasury on impact assessment of trade agreements

As a part of the WTI’s SECO collaboration, WTI Senior Research Fellow Anirudh Shingal delivered a training on assessing the impact of trade agreements at the request of the Malaysian Treasury in Putrajaya on 8-10 December. The training was facilitated by Pierre Sauvé and WTI External Fellow Sufian Jusoh.

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Prof Elsig visits Foreign Trade University of Vietnam

Deputy Managing Director of the WTI Prof Manfred Elsig recently returned from Vietnam where he paid a visit to the Foreign Trade University (FTU) in Hanoi, one of the WTI’s partners in the SECO academic cooperation project and taught a four-day course on Global Political Economy.

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Estimating the impact of Commonwealth membership on trade

WTI Senior Research Fellow Anirudh Shingal contributed to the Commonwealth Secretariat’s flagship publication on trade that was released in Malta last month.

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NCCR researcher presents at TRAPCA conference

Dr Kateryna Holzer, an NCCR post-doctoral fellow, presented a paper at the 10th annual conference of the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (TRAPCA), held in Arusha, Tanzania, on 19-20 November.

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WTI co-hosts Pacific Alliance conference in Bogotá

“The Pacific Alliance in a World of Preferential Trade Agreements - Lessons in Comparative Regionalism” was the title of an international conference held on November 19 and 20 at the Universidad Externado, Bogotá, Colombia. The event was co-hosted by the WTI, Universidad Externado, and SECO project partners Pontifical Catholic University ...

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WTI plays role in inaugural ASEAN Economic Integration Forum

The inaugural ASEAN Economic Integration Forum jointly organised by the Asian Studies Centre, St. Antony’s College; the World Trade Institute, University of Bern (WTI); and the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (IKMAS) took place on 10 November at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. This initiative, ...

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Senior researcher delivers training in Sri Lanka

WTI Senior Research Fellow Anirudh Shingal conducted a regional training workshop in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 16-21 November in the framework of a UK Trade Advocacy Fund (TAF) project aimed at enhancing capacities for trade in services, policy-making and negotiations.

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WTI managing director discusses WTO Annual Report

The World Trade Organization released its flagship World Trade Report on 26 October in Geneva. Professor Joseph Francois of the WTI acted as discussant.

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‘Timely’ lecture examines trade and investment rules' impact on climate action

Just a few weeks before the Climate Summit (COP21, Paris) and the Tenth WTO Ministerial Meeting in Nairobi, a guest lecture by WTI Senior Researcher Christian Häberli at Warwick University (UK) was welcomed by participants as most timely and to the point.

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Arun Kumar brings ‘good news’ from US on innovative investments

The World Trade Institute was pleased to host the Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service on 12 November during his visit to Switzerland aimed at supporting and encouraging the deepening of the “robust commercial partnership” between the two countries.

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RIP John H. Jackson

It is with profound sadness that we learnt that John Jackson passed away on 7 November 2015. Professor Jackson was a friend of the institute and a friend of current and past members of the WTI family. We will miss one of the founding fathers of International Economic Law. Our ...

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Sainabou Taal

A former government trade economist in Gambia, Sainabou Taal embarked on the MILE programme in 2011 to further her career in international trade policy development. In this interview she talks about how an internship at the WTO was a springboard to her current role as a policy analyst specialised in ...

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WTI researchers present at Latin American law conference

WTI researcher/lecturer Rodrigo Polanco and doctoral candidates Carolina Palma and Víctor Saco presented papers at the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Latin American Network of International Economic Law, held from 22 to 24 October at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil – the ...

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NCCR researcher Kateryna Holzer presents a paper at ASIL Research Forum

Dr. Kateryna Holzer, an NCCR post-doctoral fellow, presented a paper at the Fifth Annual American Society of International Law (ASIL) Research Forum held at the American University College of Law in Washington D.C. on October 23-24, 2015

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Doctoral conference explores theme of intergenerational justice

A conference on intergenerational justice – the second in the WTI Doctoral Programme Conference Series - took place on 9 October 2015 to discuss different conceptions of intergenerational justice and distilling concrete institutional and policy mechanisms to ensure greater coherence in this area.

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Thomas Cottier addresses Singapore-WTO policy meeting

Professor Thomas Cottier, senior research fellow and former WTI managing director, was invited to speak at the 3rd Singapore WTO Trade Policy Dialogue on 19-20 October on the topic of “The WTO: 20 Years and Beyond”.

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WTI researcher addresses climate change and agriculture in Africa

WTI senior researcher Christian Häberli presented his NCCR Trade research on the shortcomings of the present trade and investment regulatory framework at a joint seminar at the School of Law and Business of the University of Addis Ababa this week.

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r4d researchers pay site visit to Ethiopia

WTI researchers on the Employment Project of the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (r4d) are conducting a four-day site visit to Ethiopia that includes a workshop and roundtable discussion at Addis Ababa University.

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WTI and Bocconi University stage food security conference

Food Security is the main theme of the World Expo 2015 taking place in Milan until the end of this month. WTI and Milan's Bocconi University picked up the theme at a second joint event they staged in the city on 7 October.

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Thomas Cottier addresses Singapore-WTO policy meeting

Professor Thomas Cottier, senior research fellow and former WTI managing director, was invited to speak at the 3rd Singapore WTO Trade Policy Dialogue on 19-20 October on the topic of “The WTO: 20 Years and Beyond”.

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WTI researcher presents on Peru-Agriculture case at WTO

WTI PhD candidate Carolina Palma participated as presenter and legal commentator in a discussion of the Peru-Agriculture case held at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on 29 September. The event was organised by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), WTI Advisors and the government of ...

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Successful World Trade Forum concludes

The 2015 World Trade Forum on the topic 20 Years of the WTO: Past Performance and Ongoing Challenges has drawn to a close after two days of lively discussion in Bern.

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Trade rules and the WTO: interview with Prof. Joseph Francois

The University of Bern online magazine Uniaktuell spoke to WTI Managing Director, Joseph Francois, ahead of this year’s World Trade Forum on ‘20 Years of the WTO’, which opens on 25 September. An English adaptation of the interview is reproduced here with kind permission.

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High-ranking Taiwanese delegation visits the WTI

A group of senior civil servants from Taiwan paid a visit to the WTI on 18 September for a one-day training programme on bilateral and multilateral trade agreements negotiation.

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WTI reaches out to agricultural policy-makers in Vietnam

For the first time, the WTI has held a policy discussion with the international team of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) as part of a SECO-sponsored academic cooperation project in Vietnam.

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The new MILE programme is underway

A new intake of students have arrived at the World Trade Institute to begin the first semester of the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE).

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World Trade Forum to assess WTO past and future

The WTI is preparing to host this year’s annual World Trade Forum on the topic of 20 Years of the WTO: Past Performance and Ongoing Challenges.

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Warm praise from students for Summer Academy experience

The 2015 Summer Academy on New Frontiers in Trade and Investment Governance, which wrapped up on 7 August, received good marks from participants.

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Indian Joint Academy goes from strength to strength

A new summer programme in trade law held in Delhi and organised jointly by the WTI and the Centre for WTO Studies of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has tapped into huge interest.

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WTI faculty advise Kazakhstan over WTO accession

Kazakhstan is set to become the 162nd member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the General Council approved membership terms on 27 July. The next step is ratification by Astana.

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The WTO at 20: achievements and challenges

What expectations and hopes lay behind the creation of the World Trade Organization, and 20 years on how have these been realised? The World Trade Forum to be held in Bern on 25-26 September will examine these questions and consider the future challenges facing the WTO.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Subhashini Abeysinghe

MILE 10 graduate Subhashini Abeysinghe works for private think tank Verité Research in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. A regular commentator on trade issues in Sri Lankan newspapers and on television, she was recently ranked 15th among young leaders below the age of 40 and 19th most powerful woman in ...

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Reaching the end of another MILE

The 15th Master of International Law and Economics programme has come to an official end with a closing ceremony at the WTI on 27 June.

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WTI prepares to host 13th Summer Academy

The Summer Academy on International Trade Regulation – five week-long courses on cutting-edge issues in global economic governance – opens its doors to graduate students and practitioners on 6 July. The Academy runs until 8 August.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Santanu Mukherjee

To mark the 15th anniversary of the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme in 2015, we spoke to a graduate of the very first intake. Santanu Mukherjee is a senior attorney with Qualcomm's Legal & Government Affairs department in California, USA, and is based at the Gurgaon office ...

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Open borders to migrants, urges UN migrants' rights rapporteur

François Crépeau, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, called on European countries to accept more refugees and economic migrants in a lecture at the World Trade Institute on 12 June entitled “A new approach to migration: Open the doors!”

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Second Joint Academy held in Delhi

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 taking place for the second time in Delhi. The four-week course at the IIFT runs from 25 May until 19 June ...

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A Stocktaking of India’s Trade Policy: Past, Present and Future

A conference on India’s trade policy, past, present and future, jointly organised by the WTI and Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University has taken place in Delhi. It was attended by academics from leading institutions, senior policy makers, trade law practitioners, and representatives of civil society and private ...

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Ricardo Guilherme

Ricardo Guilherme graduated from the MILE programme ten years ago. After a stint in Geneva he returned to Bern, taking up a legal position at the Universal Postal Union. The native of Brazil says MILE was invaluable to him in building up a professional network and progressing in his career.

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Nanotech materials – the role of liability and insurance

Commercial products containing synthetic nanomaterials may range from safe food additives to potentially explosive products. In some cases the risks to consumers are unclear because of a lack of long term test data.

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Swiss academia grapples with commodities and trade

On 21 April, a group of scholars and stakeholders discussed research gaps in the field of commodities and trade at an academic workshop. The event was co-hosted by the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) and the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern and the Institute for ...

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Is food security an issue for Switzerland?

Around the world the resources for agricultural production – soil, water, biodiversity - are under pressure as the population increases and climate change affects the poorest countries where a high percentage of income is spent on food. Poverty and increasing food prices are leading drivers of food insecurity.

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WTI-organised conference to examine achievements of the Pacific Alliance

PhD candidate and WTI/SECO researcher Rodrigo Polanco is organising a conference with WTI Director of External Programmes Pierre Sauvé on the achievements of the Pacific Alliance that came into being three years ago. It will be held in Colombia on 19-20 November.

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Doctoral students show a heart for sick kids

The WTI doctoral school has distributed toys to two organisations in western Switzerland providing support to children with neurodevelopmental disorders. A third delivery is destined for a foundation for the visually impaired. The toys were donated to the WTI by Waldmeier AG.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Jian Guan

Since completing the MILE programme in 2012, lawyer Jian Guan has specialised in international trade law in China and is carving out a role as an expert in this area. While practising law in Beijing he is also working towards a PhD.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Wase Musonge

Wase Musonge, a graduate of MILE 10, moved to Geneva from Cameroon in 2001 and has spent more than a decade focused on development issues through her work as a Programme Officer at the South Centre. During this time she took a year out to extend her knowledge of international ...

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WTI to host commodities and trade workshop

A workshop will take place at the WTI on 21 April on research gaps in the field of commodities and trade. The University of Bern Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) and the Institute for Business Ethics (IWE) of the University of St. Gallen are co-hosting the event.

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New handbook maps changing landscape of labour mobility

An authoritative new reference book on international labour migration, co-edited by Marion Panizzon and Elisa Fornalé of the WTI and Gottfried Zürcher, formerly of the Directorate for Migration Policy, Switzerland, has just been published by Palgrave Macmillan.

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Sun, snow and sport - the MILE 15 ski trip

A highlight of the second term of every MILE year is the few days spent enjoying winter sports and generally chilling out in the Swiss mountains. Jin Glover reports on the 2015 trip.

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WTI PhD researcher appointed full-time professor

Victor Saco, a PhD candidate at the World Trade Institute, this month takes up a full professorship at the law faculty of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). Victor’s studies were sponsored by the WTI-SECO partnership which builds regional research capacities in a number of countries, including Peru. In ...

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A MILE weekly course participant reports on his experience

Retired US lawyer Patrick Mears, who lives in Germany and is teaching a world trade law class, recently visited the WTI and attended a MILE programme weekly course. The following report was published on the World Association of International Studies (WAIS) Forum, and is reprinted with Patrick Mears' agreement.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Iryna Polovets

MILE 12 graduate Iryna Polovets works as a dispute settlement lawyer at the WTO and at the same time is studying for a PhD at the WTI. She talks here about her professional journey from Odessa to Geneva, from maritime law to international trade.

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WTI-sponsored International Moot Court Competition held in Gujarat

The International Moot Court Competition at Gujarat National Law University, India, has taken place for the seventh year running with WTI support.

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Week-long migration event hosted with McGill University

The WTI is co-presenting a conference and seminar series on migration issues at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, from 16 to 20 February.

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Book your place on the 13th WTI Summer Academy!

Applications are now being accepted for the 13th annual Summer Academy on ‘New Frontiers in Trade and Investment Governance’, to be held at the World Trade Institute from 6 July to 7 August 2015.

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WTI researcher presents at international government procurement conference

WTI senior researcher and faculty member Anirudh Shingal presented the case of India at a recent conference on the internationalisation of government procurement regulation at the European University Institute in Florence.

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WTI faculty address trade and investment governance in India

On 9-11 January 2015, WTI faculty members Arthur Appleton (Appleton Luff) and Pierre Sauvé (WTI Director of External Programmes and Academic Partnerships) took part in the World Congress on International Law in New Delhi hosted by the Indian Society of International Law.

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From Bern to Brussels: a MILE student on the road to success

Lester-Jon Naidoo, who completed the MILE 14 programme, went straight from Bern to Brussels, where he works as a legal advisor for EU Regulatory and Trade Law Specialists, Grayston & Company law firm. After studying in South Africa and England he gained work experience in both countries and has a ...

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New WTI book on investor-State arbitration

Edited by Shaheeza Lalani and Rodrigo Polanco, The Role of the State in Investor-State Arbitration is a collection of contributions from lawyers, arbitrators, economists and political scientists on the development of the concept of the “State” in a field that currently presents an increasing number of controversial disputes: investor-State arbitration.

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New MILE modules for the new year

Beginning on 5 January 2015, Term 2 of the Master of International Law and Economics programme will include one new and one reworked module.

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A memorable WTI visit to the children’s hospital in Bern

Professor Thomas Cottier and WTI staff from Canada, Peru, Chile, Switzerland, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Germany and Romania visited the Bern University Hospital children’s clinic on 18 December to distribute gifts supplied by Waldmeier AG.

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Third WTI course taught in Brazil

Arthur Appleton of the WTI and Jan Bohanes of the Advisory Centre on WTO Law have just returned from a week in Brasilia where they co-taught a WTI course on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures for Brazilian government officials and private sector representatives.

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WTI co-hosts international investment agreements workshop

The I3: International Investment Initiative of the WTI co-hosted a very successful workshop on "The Political economy of International Investment Agreements", with the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, DIE) at DIE’s offices in Bonn on 8-9 December.

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Former PhD doctoral candidate takes up senior lecturer post

Malebakeng Forere, who completed her doctorate last year within the SECO-WTI academic cooperation programme and returned to her native South Africa, took up a post as senior lecturer in law at the start of November. In this interview she talks about plans to publish her thesis, and the importance of ...

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Food Security: Mapping Risks, Building Resilience

WTI senior researcher Christian Häberli was invited to present his views at the annual Food Security conference at Chatham House in London on 1-2 December.

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WTI elves spread Christmas cheer

A group of WTI staff and researchers will be visiting the children’s hospital in Bern on 18 December to perform a sketch and sing Christmas carols.

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Doctoral student awarded van Calker Scholarship

Lucia Satragno, a doctoral student under the supervision of Professor Thomas Cottier, has been awarded the prestigious van Calker Scholarship to conduct research in international monetary law at The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law in Lausanne.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Agnė Sovaitė

MILE 11 graduate Agnė Sovaitė works for a law firm in Lithuania where she deals mainly with issues of European Union and local law. As Lithuania’s economy develops she is also required to give advice on the cross-border provision of services, and is grateful for the understanding of international trade ...

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WTI researchers present papers at US law conference

A group of World Trade Institute researchers participated in the American Society of International Law (ASIL) International Economic Law Interest group (IEcLIG) 2014 Biennial Research conference in Denver (USA) on 13-15 November.

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Manfred Elsig addresses Europa Forum

The explosion in the number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) since 1990, and the leading role of European countries in this trend, was a subject addressed this week by WTI Deputy Managing Director, Professor Manfred Elsig, at the autumn meeting of the Europa Forum in Lucerne.

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WTI researcher to take part in EU migration meeting

Rosa Maria Losada, a research fellow and PhD candidate at the WTI, has been invited to participate in a meeting of the European Union-funded regional project on migration in the Euro-Mediterranean area, EUROMED Migration III.

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WTI, Externado University agree on cooperation

The World Trade Institute (WTI) is pleased to announce its intention to promote academic and research cooperation with the Faculty of Law of the Externado University of Colombia under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently entered into by the two parties.

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Facing up to the challenges of climate-driven migration

From flooding in Bangladesh to drought in Kenya: in many parts of the world climate change is accelerating, destroying environments and prompting migratory flows. States are waking up to the challenges and considering how to respond to these movements of people – both internal and cross-border. A conference held at ...

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WTI co-hosts international conference with SECO partners in Jakarta

In partnership with the Universitas Pelita Harapan (Jakarta) and the Foreign Trade University (Hanoi), several current researchers and alumni from the World Trade Institute and the NCCR Trade took part in two days of informed scholarship and stocktaking from the ASEAN region and beyond on the challenges, roadblocks and prospects ...

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High-level Vietnamese delegation visits WTI

A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance visited the WTI on 21 October during a week-long working visit to Switzerland.

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Christian Häberli addresses food security conference

How can the world feed its population – expected to grow to over eight billion over the next 20 years – when one person in eight is already experiencing hunger? The Academia Engelberg Dialogue on Science from 15 to 17 October discussed approaches to resolve this problem.

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WTI presence at World Investment Forum

There was a strong WTI presence at the biennial World Investment Forum held from 13 to 16 October in Geneva. The high-level event brings together different stakeholders to debate investment-related challenges in emerging economies.

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“The WTI offers us a different perspective”

The WTI has in recent months strengthened cooperation with Indian institutions and launched a new international trade law course in New Delhi. Partly as a result of this increased visibility, no fewer than five students from India are enrolled on this year’s Master of International Law and Economics (MILE). In ...

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PhD Candidate presents food security paper at Granada conference

Carolina Palma, a trade lawyer and professor from Costa Rica who is doing her PhD at the World Trade Institute, presented a paper on multilevel governance of food security at an international conference in Granada, Spain on 10 October.

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Doctoral Programme stages annual retreat

Resident and non-resident PhD candidates have just returned from a two-day retreat, hosted by the MSB Montreux School of Business at Territet on Lake Geneva. The annual event provides an opportunity for participants to make a presentation on their thesis and receive feedback.

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Geneva alumni turn out in number for a social event

Around 70 alumni and current students on the MILE programme, along with WTI staff and faculty members, attended a social gathering in Geneva on 3 October – the main alumni event of the year.

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Green electricity and the international trade challenges

This year’s World Trade Forum, which ran from 26 to 27 September 2014 at the WTI, took as its theme “International Trade in Electricity and the Greening Economy”.

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The WTI continues and extends its cooperation with Brazilian trade agencies

Arthur Appleton and Christian Häberli, World Trade Institute faculty members, have delivered WTI’s second course in Brasilia - a Tailor-Made Training Course on the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements with Special Attention to the Implications for Brazil’s Trade in Agricultural Goods. Under a new agreement with the Brazilian authorities a ...

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The Rule of Law in Monetary Affairs – a new World Trade Forum book

A new volume in the World Trade Forum series has just been published by Cambridge University Press. “The Rule of Law in Monetary Affairs”, is co-edited by Professor Thomas Cottier of the World Trade Institute.

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WTI I3 director takes part in African investment panel

On 19 September, Stephen Gelb, Director of I3: International Investment Initiative at WTI, participated in a panel in Geneva on the topic of “Catalysing investment for transformative growth in Africa”.

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New MILE intake welcomed to Bern

The new Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme is underway, with 28 students enrolled from 20 different countries. Classes began on the morning of 15 September with a two-day History of International Trade Regulation given by Professor Thomas Cottier.

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WTI hosts first Global Negotiation Conference

The inaugural Global Negotiation Conference took place on 3-5 September 2014 at the World Trade Institute. Twelve teams took part in a series of presentations on negotiation and climate change as well as a negotiation simulation modelled on the talks taking place to adopt a new international treaty to tackle ...

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University of Bern opens its doors for Science Night

The World Trade Institute presented its work during Science Night, an interactive celebration of knowledge held by the University of Bern on 6 September from 4-12pm.

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Third IP Summer Programme staged in Hong Kong

This year‘s successful two-week Summer Programme on International Intellectual Property concluded on 8 August. Taking place at the CUHK Graduate Law Centre in the middle of Hong Kong’s financial district, it brought together 47 government representatives, academics and practitioners from 18 countries and five continents.

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A MILE Ahead for Fifteen Years

Faculty and staff at the World Trade Institute are preparing to welcome 30 students to the 15th year of the MILE programme. This year, there will be a stronger emphasis on the economics of trade, but law and global political economy will remain core elements of coursework.

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Doctoral choir sings for the local community

The WTI’s doctoral students proved they had more than one string to their bow when they gave a concert at the retirement home in Zollikofen, near Bern, in the middle of July.

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Successful SIEL global conference ends

The three-day conference of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) hosted by the World Trade Institute has drawn to a close with the final keynote address and the SIEL annual general meeting.

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SIEL 2014 Bern Global Conference

We are very excited to host the Global Conference of the Society of International Economic Law in Bern on 10-12 July 2014!

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WTI study reveals impact on Switzerland of planned EU-US mega trade deal

The World Trade Institute (WTI) has analysed the possible impact a trade and investment agreement between the EU and the USA would have on the Swiss economy and on Switzerland’s trade relations.

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The WTI hosts SIEL global conference

The biennial conference of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) is underway at the University of Bern, bringing together scholars and practitioners in the field.

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MILE 14 draws to a close with Moot Court

The closing ceremony for this year’s Master in International Law and Economics (MILE) programme took place at the WTI on 28 June, wrapping up nine months of studies.

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Visiting Fellows: Dr. Sofia Boza

Dr. Sofia Boza of the University of Chile has returned to the WTI where she spent several months in 2013 finding out more about the legal aspects of agriculture policy and trade issues as a researcher in the SECO-WTI academic partnership programme. Her current focus is on how WTO food ...

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Arpit Bhutani

MILE 12 graduate Arpit Bhutani has been involved with the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) since its conception and now serves as an UNFSS observer in India. He is passionate about protecting the environment, and believes the time to act is now.

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Focus on Research: Governing New Technologies

Who regulates the internet? At the recent NETmundial conference, organised by Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff in cooperation with the president of ICANN Fadi Chehadé, participants grappled with the highly contentious question of who governs the internet. Mira Burri, who is researching digital technologies within NCCR Trade Regulation work package 3, ...

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First Joint Academy held in New Delhi

The first 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 underway in New Delhi. The four-week course at the IIFT runs from 26 May until 20 June 2014 and addresses ...

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MILE Alumni Profiles: The view from Brussels

Thomas Tzieropoulos, Elena Vyboldina and Mate Kander all found their way to Brussels after completing the MILE programme. In this joint interview they talk about the work they do there, and how they established an alumni group in the city.

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Former WTI researcher heads new Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

Ana Grujovic, a former visiting researcher at WTI, has been named as executive of the newly formed Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC), based in Belgrade.

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Linking up with WTI alumni

The WTI has developed a new strategy for an alumni network, linking graduates with each other and with the institute. Key aspects of this will be new regional groups and a mentoring programme.

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Geneva symposium considers post-Bali perspectives

The future of the multilateral trading system following the WTO Bali Ministerial Conference was the subject of a successful symposium held on 9 May in Geneva.

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WTI delivers training to Palestinian government and business leaders

Under a programme financed by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and in cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy (MONE) of Palestine, the World Trade Institute (WTI) has just completed the first part of a comprehensive training course in Ramallah.

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Spotlight turned on migrants’ rights in the labour market

The World Trade Institute (WTI) hosted a day-long event on 28 April focusing on the rights of migrants with regard to labour, and looking at the specific case of Switzerland.

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Liberalising Trade in Services Through Preferential Trade Agreements

Services account for three quarters of GDP in many countries but less than a quarter of global trade owing to trade barriers. A new book co-edited by Pierre Sauvé and Anirudh Shingal of the WTI assesses recent evidence on services trade barriers, the extent to which preferential trade agreements liberalise ...

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WTI event examines rights of migrants in the labour market

The World Trade Institute (WTI) is hosting a special day-long event on 28 April focusing on the rights of migrants with regard to labour, and looking at the specific case of Switzerland.

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WTI forges closer cooperation with Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

The World Trade Institute (WTI) and the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding setting up a joint educational venture.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Javier Gutierrez

MILE 12 graduate Javier Gutierrez has a background in economics and trade law and worked for a time at the WTO in Geneva. A native of El Salvador, he is now back in Central America and working in an area close to his heart - regional economic integration.

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The role and rule of law in Asian integration

The ASEAN Charter adopted in 2007 established the legal and institutional framework of the political and economic organisation. In response, the Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore set up a project on ASEAN Integration Through Law: The ASEAN Way in a Comparative Context to examine ...

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Making space for kids is child’s play at the WTI

With events organised throughout the year for children of researchers and staff, WTI is cultivating an image as a child-friendly employer.

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WTI participates in Sustainable University Day

On 28 March the University of Bern is hosting the first Swiss Sustainable University Day, an event organised by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. As part of WTI’s cooperation with the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), researchers Elisabeth Bürgi, Joëlle de Sépibus, Kateryna Holzer and Judith Wehrli ...

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PhD Profile: The draw of interdisciplinary research

Clarence Siziba from Zimbabwe has recently arrived in Bern on a scholarship awarded under the academic partnership between the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the World Trade Institute. He is excited to be doing his PhD at WTI where he especially values the skilled faculty members and ...

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Joint Academy in New Delhi launches call for applications

The World Trade Institute and the Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, are pleased to announce the launch of the 1st WTI –CWS Joint Academy on International Trade Law and Policy ("Joint Academy") from May 26 – June 20, 2014 in New Delhi.

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On the rise: the growth of services value chains in Latin America

A new publication sponsored by the academic cooperation project of WTI and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) explores the recent growth of services value chains in Latin America and their policy and business determinants.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Darius Rao

Darius Rao, a graduate of MILE 11, has carved out a career in international trade policy after earlier focusing on refugee law. The policy advisor with a not-for-profit organisation in Geneva tells us the background knowledge in WTO law he acquired on the MILE programme has been indispensable in his ...

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Former WTI research fellow honoured for doctoral thesis

Marina Foltea, a former MILE student who went on to do her PhD under Professor Thomas Cottier, recently won a Swiss academic prize for her doctoral thesis. In this interview, the former trade lawyer with the government of Moldova talks about her research at WTI, the book she has published ...

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WTI sponsors Gujarat International Moot Court Competition

Continuing a recent tradition, the WTI supported this year’s Gujarat International Moot Court, held from 5 to 9 February 2014 in Gandhinagar, India. The winning team was invited to attend WTI’s Summer Academy on International Trade Regulation.

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Counting the cost of the Swiss vote to tighten immigration

On 9 February 2014 Switzerland approved by a wafer-thin majority a rightwing initiative to impose quotas on European Union citizens coming to work in the country. The result not only involves a change to the constitution, it also raises questions about Switzerland’s future relations with the EU.

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WTI opens its doors to non-resident doctoral candidates

The World Trade Institute (WTI) welcomed Professor Thomas Cottier’s non-resident doctoral students in law to its Annual Doctoral Seminar in Bern on 21 and 22 February where 12 candidates delivered 45-minute presentations on their topics of research.

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New Faces at the WTI

2014 promises to be a year of change and challenge at the World Trade Institute. The third and final phase of the NCCR research project is underway and new staff and researchers are joining the team.

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Food Security after Bali

Agriculture and food security issues threatened to stymie progress in drafting multilateral trade rules at the Ninth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Bali last December. Agreement on a package of measures was only reached after the clock had been stopped.

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Connecting to Global Markets: Challenges and Opportunities

In recent decades, trade flows have become increasingly global, with developing countries and emerging economies playing an ever-expanding role. However, these countries, and particularly the poorest among them, continue to face a number of constraints in connecting to global markets.

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WTI signs cooperation agreement with CDE

The World Trade Institute has entered into partnership with the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) - like WTI an interdisciplinary research centre of the University of Bern.

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Focus on research: Trade Governance

In the third phase of the NCCR Trade Regulation research continues within Work Package 1 into trade governance issues, including the spread of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Government policies are strongly influenced by public opinion, so to understand trade regulation requires an understanding of public attitudes.

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A passage to India – with a focus on cooperation

WTI Managing Director Thomas Cottier has returned from a one-week visit to India. From 12-18 January Professor Cottier took part in high-level discussions in Delhi, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

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MILE students put their skiing skills to the test

MILEs are back to the real world digging deep into Non-Discrimination with Gabrielle Marceau (WTO) and Lothar Ehring (European Commission) after having spent a splendid weekend in the Bernese mountains of Saanenland from 9-12 January.

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Study assesses development impact of Swiss DTAs

World Trade Institute (WTI) researchers Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi and Sathi Meyer‐Nandi have produced a study on Swiss policy regarding double taxation agreements (DTAs) with developing countries.

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“COFIT was a great discovery"

The World Trade Institute has a new researcher in the form of Ilaria Espa who has recently joined the Institute after completing a PhD in International Law and Economics in Milan. Ilaria will spend the next two years at the WTI on the COFIT fellowship programme.

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The nanotech challenge: bringing law into line with technology

New technologies pose problems when it comes to regulation. What was true of the invention of railways in the 19th century is equally true of nanotechnology in the 21st. The law has to play catch-up.

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Conference Grapples with Complex Issue of Internet Governance

The launch of the internet sparked a revolution in the way we communicate. But as it has developed, questions as to how it is governed at the global level have become more insistent.

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WTI steps up cooperation with Vietnam

World Trade Institute (WTI) faculty members have been paying regular visits to Hanoi under an academic cooperation project with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

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MILE alumni get together in Geneva

As the year draws to a close it’s time again for the World Trade Institute’s annual MILE Alumni Aperitif event, where graduates come together to exchange news over wine and snacks.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Ratnakar Adhikari

Ratnakar Adhikari, a graduate of MILE 2, has recently been appointed Executive Director of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), a programme supporting least developed countries to be more active in the global trading system. In this interview he talks about the challenges in store and how MILE set him on ...

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WTI Delivers Training to the Russian Region of Samara

The government of Samara Region, in Russia’s industrial heartland, has developed an action plan for change in the wake of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2012.

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Examining the Role of the State in Investor-State Arbitration

The World Trade Institute’s first-ever Doctoral Programme Conference, held on 8 November, took as its theme the concept of the “State” in the controversial area of investor-State arbitration.

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E-Book - Asian views of the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference

The Road to Bali: ERIA Perspectives on the WTO Ministerial and Asian Integration

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MILE 14: Student Profile

Maria Moreno from Bogota, Colombia, finds time in her packed schedule of lectures and study to talk about life as a MILE 14 participant.

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WTI assists in delivering training across Pakistan

The World Trade Institute (WTI) is providing support to Pakistan as it prepares to update and implement a roadmap on the export of services. Three one-day training sessions relating to services trade took place across Pakistan in early October.

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High-level WTI participation in WTO Public Forum

The World Trade Organization (WTO) hosted its three-day Public Forum earlier this month with the focus on trade and innovation. WTI was represented by faculty members Thomas Cottier, Anirudh Shingal, Mira Burri and Arno Hold.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Ravi Soopramanien

Ravi Soopramanien describes his career path from the MILE programme to the WTO – via Brussels and Tunis - and shares the key things he learned on the way.

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PhD Profile:Transferring knowledge from Bern to KwaZulu-Natal

Malebakeng Forere has just completed her doctorate under the academic partnership between the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the World Trade Institute. Before returning to South Africa she shares her thoughts on her experiences at the WTI and her future plans.

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Taking stock of preferential trade agreements

The world has witnessed a sharp rise in bilateral and regional initiatives to regulate trade and investment relations in the past 10 years. New preferential deals between leading economies have been agreed or are in the pipeline, such as the US-EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

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WTI Delivers First Tailor-Made Course to Brazilian Government

Christian Häberli and Arthur Appleton, faculty members at the World Trade Institute, have delivered WTI’s first programme in Brazil, a “Training Course on Dispute Settlement for State Attorneys in Brazil”.

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Starting out on the next MILE

WTI’s Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme for 2013-2014 began on 9 September with 27 participants from 18 countries enrolled. Welcome to all our new students!

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International Accreditation for PITAD Trade Policy Curriculum

The WTI hosted a meeting in Bern on 3 September 2013 to mark its accreditation for graduate-level training modules developed by the Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development (PITAD). The event was attended by officials of PITAD, WTI and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Fernando Pierola

Fernando Pierola explains his role at the Advisory Centre on WTO Law and shares how the MILE Programme helped prepare him for the position.

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WTI/CUHK Summer Programme on International Intellectual Property successfully concluded

The two-week WTI/CUHK Summer Programme on International Intellectual Property in Hong Kong was successfully concluded last Friday. This year’s course took place at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Graduate Law Centre and brought together 34 government representatives, scholars and practitioners from 15 different countries.

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WTI Faculty Member Discusses Service Sector Reforms in ASEAN

On 18 July 2013, Pierre Sauvé, a faculty member at the WTI and the Institute’s Director of External Programs and Academic Partnerships, gave a presentation on "Services Trade and the ASEAN Economic Community" in the Asian Development Bank’s Asian International Economics Network (AIEN) Speaker Series.

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Thirteenth Year of MILE Programme Culminates in Moot Court Case and Closing Ceremony

Wrapping up a rigorous year combining studies in law, economics and the political economy of global commercial relations, 34 MILE students from some 21 countries participated in the annual MILE Moot Court at the WTI on 24-25 June.

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Thirteenth Year of MILE Programme Culminates in Moot Court Case and Closing Ceremony

Wrapping up a rigorous year combining studies in law, economics and the political economy of global commercial relations, 34 MILE students from some 21 countries participated in the annual MILE Moot Court at the WTI on 24-25 June.

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Life Post-PhD: An Alumni Profile

Professor Matthias Oesch shares his experiences as a PhD student at the WTI / IEW and offers advice to potential candidates of the new doctoral programme*.

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WTI Experts Offer Advice to the New WTO Director General

On 28 June, 2013, a hand-picked group of ambassadors, senior members of the WTO Secretariat, as well as leading private and public-sector stakeholders met at WTO headquarters in Geneva to ‘bluesky,’.i.e. generate ideas and advice, on some of the key challenges awaiting Ambassador Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo and his new ...

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Presentation by Prof. Cottier at The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India

The World Trade Institute was honoured to be the Knowledge Partner of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) of India’s National Council on WTO’s International Conference on “Opportunities and Challenges arising out of India’s FTAs” - a conference series on “Emerging Trade Policy Issues in Good Governance”.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Vitaliy Pogoretskyy

An Opportunity for Building One's Professional Network: The MILE Experience According to Alumnus Vitaliy Pogoretskyy

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New Master’s Programme in International Trade Policy and Law – Supported by Switzerland

The Foreign Trade University (FTU) today held the opening ceremony of its new Master’s programme on International Trade Policy and Law (MITPL) in the framework of a four year academic cooperation project entitled, “Regional Competence Centers for Trade Law and Policy in Africa, Peru and Vietnam,” funded by the Swiss ...

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MILE Professor Andrew T. Guzmán Addresses Global Governance and Climate Change in Chile

On 9 May 2013, Andrew T. Guzmán, Professor of Law and Associate Dean, International and Graduate Programmes at Berkeley Law, University of California and a faculty member of the MILE Programme, held a lecture to open the academic year at the International Studies Institute of the University of Chile.

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Extracting and Trading Copper: A Swiss Company’s Practices under Scrutiny

Company taxation, the disputed role of transfer pricing within the extractive industry and related aspects of development are the central topics of the film "Stealing Africa". In a recent event at a local Bernese cinema, panellists from the press, from academia and from the public administration debated about how to ...

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Call for Papers - The Role of the State in Investor-State Arbitration

The conference on 8 November 2013 will discuss and research the development of the concept of the “State” in the field of Investor-State Arbitration

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Manolo Delgado

From Lima to Hong Kong: MILE Alumni Manolo Delgado shares how the MILE Programme gave him the foundation he needed to head a purchasing office spanning 12 different countries.

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Offshore Services: an Industry to Watch in Latin America

Professor Nanno Mulder of the University of Chile highlights the book he will launch in conjunction with the SECO / WTI Academic Cooperation Project.

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The Right to Food for All

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, visited the WTI on 11 April 2013 to hold a stakeholder workshop with researchers from the Institute, as well as from the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE).

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WTI Experts Provide Training on Trade Negotiation Techniques in Malaysia

From 15-17 April 2013, Christian Häberli, Senior Research Fellow NCCR Trade Regulation at the WTI and Sufian Jusoh, WTI Lead Consultant in Malaysia, conducted a workshop on trade negotiation techniques for 24 private and government participants who were pursuing a course on intellectual property valuation at the Malaysian Intellectual Property ...

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WTI Awards Accreditation for Curriculum Developed by PITAD

The WTI recently concluded an important aspect of its capacity building support of the Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development (PITAD) by awarding accreditation to graduate-level training modules.

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A Fruitful Discussion on Agricultural Trade in Chile

Dr Sofia Boza, Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Chile and a visiting fellow at the WTI, sheds light on her goals as an academic and as a researcher involved in the SECO / WTI Academic Cooperation Project.

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An Appeal to the World Trade Organization’s Next Director General

In April 2013, two members of the European University Institute’s Global Governance Programme posted the link to an e-book and initiated an online discussion about what the World Trade Organization (WTO) will require from its next Director General.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Valéria Guimarães de Lima e Silva

Valéria Guimarães de Lima e Silva, a Global Research Fellow at the Hauser Global Law School Program at NYU, shares her experiences as a MILE student.

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WTI Contributes to Transforming Investment in Southeast Asia

From 19-21 March 2013, the World Trade Institute managed two major events in Malaysia under the theme, “Transforming Investment in ASEAN through ACIA” to discuss and promote the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA).

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WTI Contributes to EU Parliament Committee on International Trade Workshop on the Proposed Plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement

On 15 February 2013, the European Commission announced that it would ask the European Council for a mandate to participate to negotiations on a plurilateral agreement in services.

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World Trade Institute Connects with Swiss ERI Network

‘Creating connectivity in the area of science and education’ was the purpose of an event held at the World Trade Institute (WTI) on 25 March 2013 for 30 delegates of the Swiss Education, Research and Innovation (ERI) Network.

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MILE Scholarships for Nigerian Students

The Swiss Federal Office for Migration (FOM) sponsors four scholarships for the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) Programme.

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WTI Training Programme Helps Strengthen Institutional Capacity in Pakistan – and Beyond

One of the World Trade Institute’s most recent external training programmes was recently featured in the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) 2012 annual report.

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Building Trade Relations and Governance in Africa

Academics from the World Trade Institute presented a variety of papers addressing Africa’s economic integration at the Second African International Economic Law Network Conference. The event marked a further milestone in the relations between the WTI and the Mandela Institute within the SECO / WTI Academic Cooperation Project.

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A Policy Debate: The Multilateral Trading System and the WTO

On 28 February and 1 March 2013, Professor Manfred Elsig, Dr. Jappe Eckhardt and Maura Iliuteanu of the World Trade Institute (WTI) participated in a meeting involving high-level experts on the “Functioning of the WTO”.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Maria Anna Corvaglia

PhD candidate, Maria Anna Corvaglia, shares her thoughts on how completing the MILE Programme helped her further her academic career.

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A Three-Day MILE Experience inside the World Trade Organization

From 25-27 February, the World Trade Organization (WTO) opened its doors to the MILE 13 class during the WTI’s annual excursion to Geneva.

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New Structure for World Trade Institute’s Management Team

The WTI is in its 14th year since its inception in 1999. Starting with its flagship programme, the Master in International Law and Economics (MILE), the Institute gradually expanded and became the host of the National Centre of Competence in Research in the field (NCCR Trade Regulation).

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WTI sponsors the fifth International Moot Court Competition at Gujarat National Law University (Gandhinagar, India)

The World Trade Institute is a partner and sponsor of the Gujarat International Moot Court Competition (GIMC) of the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) as in previous years. The Annual Competition took place on the new GNLU campus in Gandhinagar from 6–10 February 2012.

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Round Table Discussion on “WTO in crisis – and what about India?”

The Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) New Delhi and the World Trade Institute jointly organised a Round Table on “WTO in crisis – and what about India?” on 6 February 2013 at the premises of the IIFT in New Delhi.

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Combatting Climate Change: A Proposal for Governing a Market-Based Approach

32 industrialised countries renewed their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol at the annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP18) in December 2012 in Doha, Qatar.

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MILE Alumni Profiles: Anirudh Shingal

Anirudh Shingal recalls his experiences as a MILE student and shares how the Programme helped him kick-start his career.

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The GPA, Transparency Requirements and the Fight Against Bid-Rigging and Collusion

On 11 January 2013, the World Trade Institute and the NCCR Trade Regulation offered an open forum for representatives of the Swiss procurement profession.

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Flexible Training for Professionals

A Recent Alumnus Shares his Experience with the WTI’s Distance Learning Programme on International Trade Regulation

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Academic Cooperation in Trade Governance: A Roundtable on Measuring Aid Effectiveness

‘Localized knowledge’, ‘sustainability’, ‘quality’, measurement, and ‘results’ were the catchwords at a roundtable discussion held at the World Trade Institute on Monday, 14 January.

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Strengthening Swiss-Asian Relations

The World Trade Institute opened its doors to new opportunities for cooperation between Switzerland and the Asian region on Friday, 7th of December.

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From South Africa to Switzerland: Engaging in Foreign Direct Investment, Global Debates and Downhill Skiing

University of Johannesburg Professor Stephen Gelb shares his thoughts about joining the WTI in January 2013

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Unlocking the Gateway to Asian Trade

Dr Rafael Leal-Arcas, COFIT fellow at the WTI, was part of an esteemed panel of experts invited to give a presentation at the annual conference, “Trading Freely with Asia: Challenges and opportunities for EU FTAs with partners in East Asia”.

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A Meeting of Multilateral Minds in South Africa

Thought leadership around South Africa’s future role in global international relations was the focus of the first annual International Economic Law Update, which took place on November 1, 2012 in Johannesburg.

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WTI and Maastricht agree to deepen their academic cooperation

The Institute for Globalization and International Regulation (IGIR) at the Maastricht University Law Faculty and the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern are pleased to announce the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing them to a number of exciting joint academic cooperation initiatives.

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Strong Swiss franc may not be that bad for Swiss exporters

A recent study by WTI researcher Anirudh Shingal and two co-authors concentrated on the impact of exchange rate changes on the prices of intermediate imports and their role in the price-setting behaviour of the Swiss export industry.

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Regulating services in a globalised context

The WTI and the Trade Department of the World Bank jointly organized a panel on services regulation at the recent WTO Public Forum. The Panel joined academics and practitioners for a highly interactive session.

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The WTO: Staying Alive – The Quest for Coherence in Challenging Times

The World Trade Institute and CIGI (Centre for International Governance Innovation) jointly organised a panel at the WTO Public Forum. It brought together researchers and WTO Ambassadors. The debate focused on how the WTO should institutionally react to the growth of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) as well as how to ...

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Reporting from within the classroom

International Trade Centre's report on classroom activities in the PITAD project takes us inside the training sessions held at the World Trade Institute

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Swiss agriculture policy at a crossroads

A discussion in the press on how to distribute payments to Swiss farmers in the future.

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How can trade help save water resources?

Researchers from Work Package 5 on Trade and Climate Change, in co-operation with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), held a panel on trade, food security and sustainable management of water resources at the World Water Week in Stockholm.

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Presentation of UNCTAD’S World Investment Report 2012 at the WTI

As part of the WTI’s Summer Academy 2012 course on “Settling Investment Disputes”, Elizabeth Tuerk presented UNCTAD’s “World Investment Report 2012”.

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New WTI Board members start their term in office

As of 1 August, the WTI Board, the advisory body to the World Trade Institute, welcomes several new members.

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40 years Free Trade Agreement Switzerland - European Economic Community

Prof. Thomas Cottier was in the news of Schweizer Fernsehen, the Swiss national TV channel. He participated in a programme on the 40th anniversary of the signature of the Free Trade Agreement between Switzerland and the European Economic Community.

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NCCR Trade Regulation/WTI was well represented at the SIEL Conference

Researchers of the Work Packages 1, 2 and 4 presented their papers at this year's SIEL Conference in Singapore.

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Thomas Cottier’s visit to Taiwan

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Taiwan’s accession to the WTO, a conference upheld the multilateral principle which is of specific relevance to the country: the WTO is the only international organisation that the country is a member to.

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WTI in Rio+20

Baris Karapinar, co-leader of the NCCR’s work package on climate change and trade, will attend the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), better known as Rio+20

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Debating the food security question

Panellists emphasized the difficult issue of rich countries’ export subsidies on agricultural goods. The discussion followed a special screening of the film “Hunger in a World of Plenty”, which examines the factors and instruments which influence world food security. A video podcast is now available (in German).

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Water under globalisation pressure? A NCCR researchers’ seminar during World Water Week

NCCR Trade Regulation researchers Baris Karapinar, Fitzgerald Temmerman and Kateryna Holzer are participating in this year’s World Water Week, held in Stockholm from 26–31 August. World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and has been the annual focal point for the globe's water ...

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Speech before the EU parliament about WTO's institutional crisis

WTI Deputy Managing Director and Director of Studies Pierre Sauvé addressed the issue of the WTO’s institutional crisis at a workshop on "The Future of the WTO and the International Trading System" organized by the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee in Brussels on May 8th, 2012.

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Food security worldwide: Discussion on Swiss TV

Philipp Aerni, researcher at the World Trade Institute and NCCR Trade Regulation discussed options to feed the world, in a special full-length discussion programme aired on Swiss television.

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Dispute Settlement in a Nutshell

Christian Häberli from the World Trade Institute and NCCR Trade Regulation has been involved in fifteen WTO dispute settlement cases as a panelist. At the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) in Japan, he provided an insider’s view of the stages that a settlement process usually passes through.

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Distance learning programme presents new course

The WTI is pleased to announce an updated e-learning course for 2012 on ''Trade, Energy and Climate Change'' together with UNITAR. The course, which runs from 16 April to 18 May, is taught entirely online via self-study modules and has been revised to include a brand new module on energy.

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Towards a common European treaty practise in investment law

The WTI’s International Investment Initiative (I3) and NCCR promote discussion on the New European Investment Policy in Brugges

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Asia-Pacific Regional Round of the ELSA Moot Court Competition held for the first time in Jakarta

The WTI awards prizes for the best written submissions in all the ELSA Regional Rounds. The 10th ELSA Moot Court Competition (EMC2) on WTO Law holds Regional Rounds in Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

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EU supports training of Pakistani officials in trade in agriculture

Two days training course to build the capacity of government officers of federal ministries, implementing agencies, provincial departments and research organisations regarding trade in agriculture was arranged on Tuesday. The course is jointly organised by PITAD and International Trade Centre (ITC) with technical support from the Switzerland-based World Trade Institute ...

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World Trade Institute and SECO: Two new partners in joint world-wide project

SECO funds the creation of two further regional knowledge hubs on trade regulation and policy with an additional 1 million CHF grant to strengthen institutional, research and teaching capacity in Indonesia and Chile.

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Environmental Governance: linking scholarship and practice

In the run-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, the workshop on international environmental governance, held at the World Trade Institute, started a dialogue between academics and policymakers.

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WTI master programme’s traditional visit to Geneva

The Master of International Law and Economics (MILE)'s students have today visited the hallowed halls of the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

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WTI sponsors the International Moot Court Competition at Gujarat National Law University (Gandhinagar, India)

For the fourth time the World Trade Institute (WTI) supported the Gujarat International Moot Court Competition (GIMC) of the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) as a partner and sponsor.

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WTI Summer Academy 2012 – new course information available

Launched in 2003, the World Trade Institute (WTI)’s Summer Academy meets the increasing demand for up-to-date knowledge of the cutting-edge issues in international trade regulation. The forthcoming 10th WTI Summer Academy covers many of the currently most important topics in the field of international trade. Trade facilitation and logistics, trade ...

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PITAD, WTI and ITC take stock of a joint partnership agreement on trade-related technical assistance

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MILE Scholarships for Nigerian Students

The Swiss Federal Office for Migration (FOM) sponsors four scholarships for the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) Programme.

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Society of International Economic Law's conference well attended by WTI delegation

Dr Rafael Leal-Arcas (Senior Research Fellow), Maria Anna Corvaglia (Doctoral Research Fellow, nccr Trade Regulation, MILE 9), Vladimir Talanov (MILE 11) and Arpit Bhutani (MILE 12) took part in the first Postgraduate and Early Professionals/Academics (PEPA) Conference organized in Hamburg by the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) in cooperation ...

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Additional rules of the game to ensure animal variety

Michelangelo Temmerman has become an expert in the legal studies of a relatively young field, the role of patent rights in biotechnology. Based on his PhD thesis, the book “Intellectual Property and Biodiversity” deals with the question of how patent rights can offer incentives for farmers to breed new and ...

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Summer Programme on IP launched

The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the World Trade Institute are jointly organizing a summer programme on intellectual property. The two course weeks will take place from 9 to 20 July 2012 in Hong Kong.

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Book Launch during the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC 8)

As a side event of the WTO Ministerial, the book launch of "The Prospects of International Trade Regulation" took place in Geneva on 15 December 2011.

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Presentation "Film Amicorum Thomas Cottier"

This evening, Thomas Cottier received the film that friends and former colleagues produced on the occasion of his 60th birthday. The "Film Amicorum" accompanies Thomas Cottier's path through his professional positions by setting off on a journey around Geneva.

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10th anniversary of China’s accession to the WTO

Thomas Cottier gave a key note speech at the conference “China in the WTO at Ten” in Xi’an, China on 4 November 2011.

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Doctoral Conference on Migration 4.-5. November 2011, Solothurn

Organised by the Centre for Legal Studies in Migration, Lisa Salcedo Pfeiffer and Charlotte Sieber-Gasser contributed to the first doctoral conference on migration in Switzerland. The conference included doctoral students from all of Switzerland and all disciplines.

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Upcoming WTI / UNITAR e-Learning Courses (starting on 3 October 2011)

The four to six week long courses are designed specifically for officials and professionals wishing to deepen their knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge areas of international trade in a flexible and practical way. The courses are entirely self-taught via the internet. Apply now for these opportunities!

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Book Launch: Governing the World Trade Organization: Past, Present and Beyond Doha

As a side event of the WTO Public Forum, the book launch takes place in Geneva.

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Medienmitteilung: Wechselwirkungen zwischen Migration, Handel und Entwicklung

Heute geht in Bern ein Treffen zu Ende, an dem Regierungsvertreter sowie Expertinnen und Experten aus Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft aus aller Welt über die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Handel, Migration und Entwicklung diskutiert haben. Das Treffen fand im Rahmen des Globalen Forums für Migration und Entwicklung statt, dessen Vorsitz die Schweiz 2011 ...

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UNCTAD and WTI promote cooperative relationship in investment

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and The World Trade Institute (WTI) have agreed to work together to foster better understanding of cutting-edge issues in international investment law and policy.

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Interview with NCCR PhD student Lisa Salcedo

In the run-up to the University of Bern's Researchers' Night on 23 September 2011, its online newspaper "unilink" portrays various researchers. NCCR Trade Regulation (WP5) PhD student Lisa Salcedo was interviewed on her research on the pioneering work regarding bilateral migration agreements between France and Africa.

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MILE alumni in the news

Interview with Symone Betton (MILE 10), Minister/Counsellor at the Embassy of Jamaica in Brussels on the Caribbean perspective of the reform of the European Union's Generalised System of Preferences (in ICTSD Trade Negotiations Insight/TNI Volume 10:5, July 2011).

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WTI, PITAD and ITC jointly organise training modules

The Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA-II) Programme aims at modernising the Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development’s Specialised Training Programme (STP). The STP is a nine month programme for newly inducted Commerce and Trade Group officers of the Civil Service of Pakistan.

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Investment, trade in services and competition in Central America

Pierre Sauvé and Roberto Echandi from the WTI/NCCR Trade Regulation taught at the third module of the Regional Economic Integration Program which was held from 6 to 11 June at INCAE Business School campus in Managua, Nicaragua

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Successful launch of WTI’s co-operation with the Faculty of Agronomy (University of Buenos Aires)

The first of a series of training workshops for agricultural trade officials and other stakeholders in the agri-food chain from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay was held at the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires, from 30 May to 3 June 2011.

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Book release P. Aerni and K.-J Grün: Moral und Angst

Erkenntnisse aus Moralpsychologie und Politischer Theologie. Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen, 2011

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WTI signed MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock of Argentina

The World Trade Institute (WTI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock of the Republic of Argentina to cooperate on a range of academic activities on agribusiness and trade.

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WTI holds the first of a series of Roundtable discussions on the Emerging European Investment Policy in Brussels

The World Trade Institute – through its International Investment Initiative – held the first of a series of Roundtable discussions on the emerging European Investment Policy in Brussels on 23 May 2011. The event was organised in cooperation with the Madagiara-College of Europe Foundation.

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African IEL Network Conference, 5-6 May 2011, Johannesburg

Roberto Echandi and Charlotte Sieber-Gasser attended the first African IEL Network Conference in Johannesburg, hosted and organised by the Mandela Institute, University of Witwatersrand.

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NCCR research in services trade presented at the Asian Development Bank in Manila

Pierre Sauvé and Anirudh Shingal co-authored a paper on the preferential liberalization of services trade, forthcoming in the Journal of World Trade. Anirudh presented results from this work at a Conference on Services at the ADB in Manila.

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Manuel Oechslin awarded the Austin Robinson Memorial Prize

Prof. Manuel Oechslin, WTI, University of Bern, was awarded the Austin Robinson Memorial Prize for his paper "Government Revenues and Economic Growth in Weakly Institutionalised States", published in The Economic Journal (Vol 120: Issue 545, pp. 631-650, June 2010)

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Presentation of a Study on Cross-Border Supply of Business Services by Swiss Service Suppliers within the EU

NCCR/WTI researchers Panagiotis Delimatsis and Pierre Sauvé teamed up to conduct a study for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on “The Cross-Border Supply of Business Services by Swiss Service Suppliers within the EU”. The study was presented by SECO in Bern on 5 April 2011.

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Second Module of the INCAE–WTI Regional Economic Integration Programme

With the aim of adding momentum to Central America’s economic integration, a key group of 60 private sector executives and government officials will join together this week for the second module of a Regional Integration Training Programme – an initiative co-sponsored by the World Bank and the Government of Spain ...

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WTI sponsors the ELSA Moot Court Competition on WTO Law

Since its inception the World Trade Institute has been a proud sponsor of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA)’s Moot Court Competition on WTO Law.

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International Geneva Award

Launch of the 2011 Edition of the International Geneva Award by the Swiss Network for International Studies

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Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) Gender, Justice, Globalisation

This Certificate of Advanced Studies is offered by the Faculties of Humanities and of Human Sciences and by the Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies of the University of Bern. It is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, SDC (DEZA).

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WTI/NCCR sponsors the third Moot Court Competition at Gujarat National Law University (Gandhinagar, India)

The World Trade Institute (WTI) continues its support of the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) International Moot Court Competition (GIMC) as a partner and sponsor. This 3rd Annual Competition took place in Gandhinagar from 9–13 February 2011.

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WTI/NCCR FP7 Postdoctoral Fellowships

The World Trade Institute and its National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) on Trade Regulation is offering 3 Post-doc Research Fellowships.

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African IEL Network Regional Conference Johannesburg, 5-6 May 2011 - Call for papers

The Mandela Institute is pleased to announce that it will be convening a conference on 5 and 6 May 2011 at the School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. This academic conference is intended to facilitate the launch of the African International Economic Law Network, affi liated with the ...

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Launch WTI–INCAE Regional Economic Integration Programme

The launching ceremony of the WTI–INCAE Regional Economic Integration Programme took place on 24 January at the INCAE Business School Campus in Costa Rica.

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Launch WTI–INCAE Regional Economic Integration Programme

The launching ceremony of the WTI–INCAE Regional Economic Integration Programme took place on 24 January at the INCAE Business School Campus in Costa Rica.

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The new WTI website goes live!

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SNIS AWARD 2010 for the best thesis in International Studies

The SNIS reminds of the submission deadline for the SNIS Award 2010 that offers CHF 5000 for the best thesis in international studies submitted in a Swiss University in 2010. Submissions must be received before 31 January 2011.

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NOW EXTENDED TO 31 JANUARY 2011: Call for papers: European Society of International Law International Economic Law Interest Group (IEL IG)

The ESIL International Economic Law Interest Group invites submissions of unpublished, original works for presentation in two panels, which it convenes on the occasion of the ESIL Research Forum on 26–28 May 2011.

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WP4 project awarded PHC Germaine de Staël grant

The project “Migration Agreements, Associative Practices and Transnational Communication for a Global Migration Governance” jointly presented by NCCR Trade Regulation of the World Trade Institute (WTI) of Bern with the Institute for Research and Development (IRD) of Montpellier was granted the PHC Germaine de Staël funding for 2011 with the ...

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Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi in den Stiftungsrat von Brot für Alle Schweiz gewählt

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Discussing the Dragon’s Forays into Africa, 25-26 November 2010, Arusha

Three researchers from the WTI, Baris Karapinar, Maria Anna Corvaglia and Charlotte Sieber-Gasser, are currently attending the 5th Annual Conference of the TRAPCA Institute in Arusha, Tanzania.

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WTI-NCCR researchers present paper on the occasion of EFTA's 50th Anniversary

The Graduate Institute organized an academic workshop and roundtable on the occasion of EFTA's 50th Anniversary in Geneva under the chairmanship of H.E. Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation.

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CALL FOR PAPERS Climate Economics and Law Conference

The NCCR Climate invites scientists to the “Climate Economics and Law Conference” that will take place on 16 – 17 June 2011 in Bern, Switzerland.

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Switzerland supports Regional Competence Center for Trade Law and Policy in Vietnam to assist economic development

Press Release Hanoi, 17 November 2010 – The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern have joined forces in implementing a four year academic cooperation project in three advanced developing countries: Peru, South Africa and Vietnam. Funded by a ...

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The Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) launches its fourth Call for Projects

The SNIS offers project research grants in the order of 100’000 to 300’000 SwissFrancs for a two-year period.

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Es braucht ein austariertes Handelssystem

Ein Artikel von Louis Probst (Aargauerzeitung) im Gespräch mit Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi

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WTI launches the International Investment Initiative (I3)

The World Trade Institute (WTI) is pleased to announce the launch of the International Investment Initiative (I3). The Initiative aims to pursue three core objectives.

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WTI-NCCR researchers host sessions at WTO Public Forum 2010

WTI faculty members and NCCR-Trade Co-Leaders Pierre Sauvé (WP2 - Preferential Trade) and Marion Panizzon (WP4 - Trade, Development and Migration) hosted two very well attended sessions at the World Trade Organization's Public Forum 2010 in Geneva on September 17th.

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New book on 'Competitiveness of ASEAN Countries - Corporate and Regulatory Drivers'

Edited by Philippe Gugler, University of Fribourg, Switzerland and Julien Chaisse, Chinese University of Hong Kong

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The NCCR project 'eDiversity' winner of the Swiss academies award for transdisciplinary research

The 'eDiversity' project, which was part of the NCCR Trade first stage (2005-2009) as a joint project with the University of Lucerne has won this year's award for transdisciplinary research given by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.

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Rising Global Interest in Farmland – Time to Act!

Christian Häberli is involved in an eDiscussion, which is based on the World Bank Report "Rising Global Interest in Farmland: Can it yield sustainable and equitable benefits?" The eDiscussion will take place from 13 September to 8 October and is jointly hosted by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development ...

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10vor10

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10vor10

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WTI / NCCR Trade Regulation to contribute to new training programme at INCAE Business School

The World Bank Group pledges funding for training civil servants from Central American Integration System countries at Heads of States’ Summit.

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Baris Karapinar awarded grant for research on MDGs by SDC

Baris Karapinar has been awarded a grant by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation’s KFPE programme to conduct his research study on the Millennium Development Goals.

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SECO and WTI jointly support development of Regional Competence Centres for Trade Law and Policy in Peru, South Africa and Vietnam

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern have joined forces in implementing a four-year academic cooperation project in three advanced developing countries. Funded by a five million CHF grant from SECO, in the framework of the Swiss economic ...

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Franz Perrez is Switzerland’s new Ambassador for the Environment

Franz Perrez will succeed Thomas Kolly as Head of the International Affairs Division at the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). In this capacity, Perrez will also assume the office of Swiss Ambassador for the Environment and represent Switzerland at all important international negotiations in the area of the ...

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WTI sponsors the Moot Court of the European Law Students Association (ELSA)

Christian Häberli (WTI/NCCR Trade Regulation) participated in the moot WTO Panel and presented the WTI programmes.

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Manfred Elsig winner of the International Geneva Award 2010

Prof. Manfred Elsig, Assistant Professor at the World Trade Institute, University of Bern and Work Package 1 Leader of NCCR Trade Regulation is a winner of the International Geneva Award 2010 for his publication "Principal-agent Theory and the World Trade Organization: Complex Agency and Missing Delegation", in European Journal of ...

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Gabriele Ruoff winner of the 2009 SNIS Award

Dr. Gabriele Ruoff of the NCCR Trade Regulation, now postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Comparative and International Studies at the EHZ Zürich has won the prestigious SNIS Award 2009.

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WTI/NCCR Researcher Support Gujarat National Law University Moot Court Competition (India)

The World Trade Institute (WTI) supported the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) International Moot Court Competition (GIMC) as a partner and sponsor. This 2nd Annual Competition took place in Gujarat from 3 – 7 February 2010.

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Copenhagen Summit side event

A side-event in Copenhagen was organised jointly by Joanneum (Austria), Ecologic (Washington) and the WTI on the following subject: Developing carbon markets post 2012: New approaches and institutional options.

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Hearing at the European Parliament, Trade Committee, Brussels

A hearing on challenges for trade in the Copenhagen Process took place on Tuesday 10 November at the European Parliament Trade Committee, in Brussels.

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High-Level Expert Forum (HLEF): How to feed the world in 2050

The High-Level Expert Forum took place in Rome from 12–13 October 2009. The objective of this HLEF was to provide the substantive input to the World Food Summit, held on 16–18 November 2009, as requested by the G8 in its ‘Aquila Food Security Initiative’ (AFSI).

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