Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) and Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS)

The WTI offers you a unique opportunity to update and deepen your knowledge of international economic governance, trade and investment by participating in intensive, week-long courses on a wide range of topics. These interdisciplinary courses, which are part of the Master in International Law and Economics (MILE) programme and the Master in International Trade and Investment Law (TRAIL+), are taught by a faculty of renowned experts and practitioners.

Participants interested in taking single weekly courses can do so on an à la carte basis as a part of our Winter and Summer Academies. Contact us for a current list of à la carte courses, course descriptions, and fee information.

The Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) on Applied Trade Policy Modeling (TRADEMOD) offers research-oriented teaching in the field of trade policy. The courses provided show the different theories and quantitative models and techniques used to analytically evaluate the past effects of trade policies.

Introduction to Input-Output and Applied General Equilibrium Models
20 - 24 June 2022

Lecturers: Patrick Tomberger, Hugo Rojas-Romagosa

Description: This course shows the use of input-output tables and social accounting matrices, which constitute the data basis for applied general equilibrium models. After that, students are introduced to the basics of computable general equilibrium models.
ECTS: 3

The Proposed EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): its Legality, Effectiveness and Impact
20 - 23 June 2022

Lecturers: Peter Van den Bossche, Yuliia Kucheriava, Joseph Francois, Christian Häberli, Ilaria Espa, Nicolas Lockhart, Dominic Coppens and Manfred Elsig

Description: This course focuses on the European Commission’s proposal for a carbon border adjustment mechanism as it is currently being discussed in the European Parliament and by EU Member States. The course will discuss this proposal, possible amendments and alternatives from a legal, economic and international relations perspective. In a series of lectures and roundtable discussions involving policy makers, representatives of interest groups and academics from the EU and other WTO Members, the course will address the consistency of the CBAM proposal, possible amendments, and alternatives with the WTO and other international agreements. The course will also address the economic impact and effectiveness of the proposed CBAM as well as its effect on international efforts to address climate change.
ECTS: 3

Innovation and Intellectual Property Protection: Foundations and Challenges
20 - 24 June 2022

Lecturers: Thomas Cottier and Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

Description: Intellectual property rights play an increasing role in international trade and the process of globalization and regionalization. Global value chains and division of labour strongly depends upon intellectual property protection which in turn also influences trade flows. The course expounds the fundamental principles of IP protection in the multilateral trading system of the WTO and preferential trade agreements. It offers and introduction to different forms of rights, scope of rights, and students are exposed to leading case law. It particularly focuses in a case study on the implications of patents on public health and pharmaceuticals in the developing world. The course offers an introduction into trademarks and geographical indications and explains the different modes of registration of intellectual property rights and research tools for patent and trademark landscaping.
ECTS: 3

Applied Trade Policy Modeling using Computational General Equilibrium Models
27 June - 1 July 2022

Lecturer: Eddy Bekkers

Description: This course covers how to model trade policy instruments in the framework of computational general equilibrium models. The course covers topics such as the structure of the main multi-country, multi-sector general equilibrium models specially designed for the analysis of trade, the definition of shocks, the calibration of the model, and how to read the results.
ECTS: 3

WTO Law on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) & Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
27 June - 1 July 2022

Lecturers: Arthur Appleton and Christian Häberli

Description: This course builds on basic knowledge regarding GATT obligations and applies this knowledge to trade-related regulatory issues that affect operators along various value chains. These regulatory issues are of considerable interest to civil society. The classroom activities will focus on the policy space that Members have under the WTO Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) to regulate trade in goods, including the social and environmental implications. Based on participant interest in societal concerns, we will discuss trade and investment-related issues arising under the WTO and regional trade agreements (RTAs) including climate change mitigation, the pandemic and public health, food safety, consumer protection, child and forced labour, public morals, the protection of the environment, and similar issues. Particular attention will also be given to the needs of the business community – businesses thrive when government regulations are legitimate, transparent, and stable.
ECTS: 3

Intellectual Property and the Digital Economy
27 - 30 June 2022

Lecturers: Thomas Cottier and Mira Burri

Description: This course is dedicated to exploring the relationship of international trade, intellectual property and competition law in the digital economy. Expounding the law of copyright and domain name protection, turns to new challenges in the field of competition law. New and unresolved issues of big data, data protection, artificial intelligence and IP protected technical standards are discussed, also in relation to the US-Sino trade war. The module also includes treatment of enforcing intellectual property rights which is particularly challenges in digital trade.
ECTS: 3

More Agrifood Trade Governance
4 - 8 July 2022

Lecturers: Ken Ash and Christian Häberli

Description: In this course we look at the history of, and the economic justification for, the rules in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and related agreements. We then examine how these rules which were created in response to the agricultural policy landscape of the 1980's fit the current global context for food security, food safety, and climate change mitigation. In addition to participating in interactive lectures and exercises, participants will be invited to identify, and present, specific agriculture-related issues of their choice. In addition to the challenges mentioned above, topics could include sustainable development goals, “land grab”, human rights and gender issues, obesity and malnutrition, water allocation and wood scarcity, fish, biofuels and biotechnology. On the fourth day of the week, participants will lead a discussion on the selected topics highlighting the interaction between existing trade rules and policy space.
ECTS: 3

Latest Developments in International Investment Law and Dispute Settlement
11 - 15 July 2022

Lecturers: Michele Potestà, Krista Nadakavukaren and Rodrigo Polanco

Description: This course will examine the latest trends in the negotiation and implementation of international investment agreements (IIAs), placing them into their political economy and public policy context, including issues such as the connection with poverty and the digital divide.
The sessions will devote particular attention to the criticism that the current investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system is facing and the various reform efforts that States and other stakeholders are making to address such criticism. The course will in particular deal with the work of UNCITRAL Working Group III with respect to ISDS reform, including the proposals of tribunals, ad hoc and standing multilateral mechanism (multilateral advisory centre, stand-alone review or appellate mechanism, and standing first instance and appeal investment court, with full-time judges); arbitrators and adjudicators appointment methods and ethics (ISDS tribunal members' selection appointment and challenge, and code of conduct); treaty Parties' involvement and control mechanisms on treaty interpretation; cost management and related procedures (expedited procedures, and principles/guidelines on allocation of cost and security for cost); and third-party funding, as well as the possible mechanisms to implement the reform options. The course will also address the recent ICSID Rules amendments which have reformed the ICSID arbitration framework in a number of significant respects and which will come into effect in July 2022.
Additionally, the course will examine investor-State conflict management, as well as alternatives to replace it with other mechanisms, including the use of non-litigious means for addressing investor-State conflicts. It will also address issues of dispute prevention and mitigation, such as the strengthening of dispute settlement mechanisms other than arbitration (ombudsman, mediation).
Finally, this course will also analyse the latest developments of a possible future Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement as part of the joint statement initiative (JSI) at the WTO, as well as the investment facilitation provisions that have been already included in existing IIAs
ECTS: 3

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

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