Type
Course
UNITAR/WTI: Introduction to the International Trading System
Location
Web-based
Date
-
Duration
6 Weeks
Programme Area
Public Finance and Trade
Partnership
World Trade Institute (University of Bern)
Registration
Open-registration event
Mode of Delivery
E-learning
Language(s)
English
Background
This foundation course provides an overview of the nexus of World Trade Organization (WTO) law and the underlying economics and political economy of international trade. Set against the context of historical developments in trade regulation, the course offers an introduction to the institutional rules of the WTO as well as a preliminary survey of the principles and basic rules of the international trading system to prepare students for further studies in the area. It also focuses on the legal parameters and evolution of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and WTO Agreements while also investigating basic economic and political economy models and key empirical findings. The objective of this course is to introduce participants to the legal, economic, and other conceptual underpinnings and principles of the rule-based multilateral trading system. The course has been designed so as to enable participants to better understand not just the legal, economic, and diplomatic perspectives of trade rules but also their interaction and interrelation. Developing a sophisticated, inter-disciplinary perspective is, therefore, a central goal of this course.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, the participants should be able to:
- Describe the legal, economic and other conceptual underpinnings and principles of the rules-based multilateral trading system;
- Recognize the legal, economic and diplomatic perspectives of trade rules and their interaction; and
- Discuss the case for and against trade liberalisation and international trade rules.
Content and Structure
The course consists of the following modules:
- Module 1: History and Evolution of International Trade Regulation: From Mercantilism to the WTO
- Module 2: The Economic Foundations of International Trade
- Module 3: The Economic Analysis of Trade Policies
- Module 4: The WTO System: Institutional Structure and Legal Principles
- Module 5: The WTO System: WTO Agreements and Major Political Controversies in the Trading System
Methodology
In order to ensure the best possible outreach, the course will be delivered through e-learning. Through a multiple-instructional setting, the goal is to achieve the learning objectives by means of learning technologies that match personal learning styles and by the inclusion of non-linear learning that aims at the development of just-in-time skills of adult learners. At the same time, in order to allow participants maximum flexibility of scheduling , the learning will be conducted in an asynchronous manner. Using a state-of-the-art training architecture, UNITAR will combine self-learning with assessments and online discussions. The pedagogy - adapted specifically to professionals in full-time work - will help train participants through various experiences: absorb (read); do (activity); interact (socialize); reflect (relate to one’s own reality).
Targeted Audience
This course is designed specifically for senior and middle-level officials and professionals wishing to deepen their knowledge and understanding of international trade in a flexible and practical way.
Additional Information
A certificate of completion will be issued by UNITAR and WTI to all participants who complete the course-related assignments and assessments successfully.
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