The World Trade Institute (WTI) is an interdisciplinary centre at the

University of Bern The University of Bern (german: Universität Bern, french: Université de Berne, la, Universitas Bernensis) is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a compreh ...

focused on research, education, and policy support in the areas of global economic governance,

international economic law International economic law is an increasingly seminal field of international law that involves the regulation and conduct of states, international organizations, and private firms operating in the international economic arena. As such, internationa ...

, and international economic sustainability. UniBern

Overview

The institute was founded in 1999 as an inter-university centre of the

, the

University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (french: Université de Fribourg; german: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisi ...

, and the

University of Neuchâtel The University of Neuchâtel (UniNE) is a French-speaking university based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The university has four faculties (schools) and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law and eco ...

. Since 2009, the WTI is one of the strategic “Centres of Excellence” within the

, with a global profile in both research and education. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) played an important role in the transformation of the WTI into a Swiss university centre of excellence through the SNSF funded National Competence Centre for Research (NCCR) on global economic governance. Other NCCR-based centers at the

include NCCR PlanetS (focused on exoplanet studies), NCCR Climate (now the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research), and NCCR RNA and Disease. Together with the European University Institute (EUI), the WTI organizes the annual World Trade Forum. Its research and

impact assessment Policy Impact Assessments (IAs) are formal, evidence-based procedures that assess the economic, social, and environmental effects of public policy. They have been incorporated into policy making in the OECD countries and the European Commission. Ke ...

s on the negotiation, structure, enforcement, and effects of international economic agreements feature in public policy debates. Notable faculty include Manfred Elsig, Joseph Francois,

Peter Van den Bossche Peter van den Bossche (born 1959) is a professor of international economic law at the University of Bern ( World Trade Institute). In 2018 he was elected president of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL). He served as a judge on the A ...

, and Thomas Cottier.

Academics

Degrees earned at the WTI are awarded by the University of Bern, and are regulated under Swiss law governing higher education. Degree programs include a PhD program (offered through the Graduate School of Economic Globalisation and Integration), a combined LL.M. and DAS program in International Trade and Investment Law and Economics, an MAS program in international trade regulation (Master of International Law and Economics or MILE), and certificate and diploma programs in international law and economics. Alumni work for a mix of public sector organisations (international organisations, diplomatic services, trade and economics ministries), non-governmental organisations, universities, and the private sector (law firms and industry).

References

{{Authority control University of Bern Research institutes in Switzerland 1999 establishments in Switzerland Research institutes established in 1999 Schools of international relations Economic research institutes International research institutes