Programme Details

Participants may enrol for all or part (1 or 2 weeks) of the programme. Click here to check out the 2012 schedule!

Overview

The Summer Programme on the WTO, International Trade and Development explores key issues in international trade with a substantive focus on the following:

Week 1: Core Features and Issues in the World Trading System

The first week of the programme will offer an interdisciplinary review of the features of international trade and the world trading system from the perspectives of economics, political science and law.
Conducted by professors from the Graduate Institute, the first week aims at providing participants with a fluent understanding of the economics of free trade, the political implications of free-trade decisions, and the legal framework of the WTO system. This week may feature a visit to the premises of the WTO accompanied by top WTO officials, visits to prominent Missions to the WTO in Geneva, an interactive workshop on the TRIPS agreement and a simulation of a Dispute Settlement Mechanism Case study.  

Week 2: Development and Trade in Manufacturing, Agriculture and Services

The second week of the programme will be framed by the question of how trade works for development, and how the development paradigm poses particular challenges to a free-trade regime like the WTO. Covering trade in Manufacturing, trade in Agricultural products and trade in Services, this week will integrate the economic perspectives in favour of trade, the legal frameworks within which trade liberalisation takes place, and the political implications that restrict and drive liberalisation. This week may feature visits to the UN organizations, as well as to the missions of the most important developing country players.

Lectures and discussions will focus on the many dimensions of the challenges faced by trade analysts and negotiators in these domains: the reasons why countries open their economies to trade and the reasons why they protect domestic industry; the means and pathways they choose to either open or protect their economies; what these considerations mean for the multilateral trading system; and their implications for economic development.

The programme includes:

Morning lectures

• Interdisciplinary approach to the dynamics of international trade
• Internationally-renowned professors, and high level analysts in the area of trade field
• Cutting-edge expertise on topical issues

Afternoon workshops and visits

• In-depth and small-group debates on selected issues drawing on lectures and literature
• Visits to Missions to the WTO as well as trade and development-related organisations in GenevaPractical exercises, including negotiation simulations and role play

A detailed syllabus will be provided to participants before the start of the Programme.

Symposia

• The programme will offer a public lecture or a roundtable on a topic related to the weekly theme

Social events

• We will organise optional social events for participants, including a welcome reception, barbecue, tours of the campus and excursions on Saturdays, as well as a farewell dinner. More details will be provided to applicants upon registration in the programme. Read more about the social programme.

Registration and orientation

• Registration will be possible prior to the opening of the programme. On the first day of the programme there will be an orientation session. This will include a presentation of the programme to familiarise students with the timetable; to introduce the Summer Programme team; and answer any questions relating to students' stay in Geneva.