In mid June, SIFT and the International Centre for Trade andSustainable Development (ICTSD) reached and signed two agreementson academic cooperation.
ICTSD is a renowned European think tank founded in Geneva in 1996.It is an independent, non-profit, and non-governmentalorganization, aiming to influence the international trade systemsuch that it advances the goal of sustainable development. Bridges,its flagship publication, is well-known in the academia ofinternational trade and economic policy studies, for it providesinformation and in-depth analysis on cutting edge issues affectingthe growing number of actors involved in the global trade debate.
The two agreements between SIFT and ICTSD are the ContentPartnership for Academic Cooperation on Bridges Periodicals and theContract: Academic Cooperation and Translation of BridgesPeriodicals into Chinese. The cooperation is aimed at building adynamic academic network to facilitate knowledge sharing betweenChinese and international academics and policy practitioners in theareas of trade and sustainable development. Due to the cooperation,Chinese readers will be able to access in-depth analysis of globaltrade policies by reading the translated periodicals. Meanwhile,the views and expertise of Chinese academics will be known to theoutside world.
According to the agreements, ICTSD will send on a regular basis itsperiodicals, research papers and information on academic events toSIFT. SIFT will translate Bridges on a quantity and monthly basis.A shelf dedicated to ICTSD publications will be set up in SIFTlibrary. SIFT, as a partner of the Bridges China Network, willsource 5-8 articles from Chinese academics for Bridgesinternational every year. Both sides have agreed to integrate theircooperation on academic issues and the translation of Bridges intoSIFT’s WTO Chairs Programme.