Since selected as one of the academic institutions in the WTOChairs Program (WCP) in 2009, SIFT has made much progress in thefield of WTO education and research by adopting a number ofinnovative measures.
The WCP is a platform for driving WTO-related research. The firstis the sharing of the latest trade-related information andresearch. SIFT has established an extensive academic network athome and abroad by becoming a member of the United NationsConference on Trade and Development Virtual Institute (UNCTAD VI)and a member of Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade(ARTNeT), an open regional network under the United NationsEconomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP),and by establishing partnership with the International Center forTrade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), a think-tank based inGeneva. The second is focusing on the research of hot topics ofsignficant relevance to the WTO. SIFT has published many scholarlybooks and academic papers such as Basic Principles and Functions ofWTO Trade Policy Review and Legal Principles of WTO DisputeSettlement Mechanism. The WTO has also established a WTO ReferenceCenter in the SIFT library.
The WCP is a platform for training trade-related talents urgentlyneeded in the country. SIFT has continued to explore fresh ways inthe development of course materials, the design of courses,teaching and internship. Textbook series such as WTO Economics andAnnual Updates on WTO Trade Negotiations, which reflect the latestdevelopments in the WTO, have been completed. SIFT has developed 4courses at the master’s level for students majoring in the WTO,provides a double master’s degree program in international law incollaboration with prestigious overseas partner universities, andhas hosted the China WTO Postgraduates Summer School for fourconsecutive years. As an academic institution awarded the WTOChair, SIFT sends students to the WTO Secretariat for internship tohelp them get a firsthand experience of the working of the globaltrade body. In 2011, SIFT organized an Internship Trip, which gaveteachers and students an opportunity to visit some teninternational institutions such as the WTO, the United NationsConference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the WorldIntellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the World EconomicForum (WEF).
The WCP is a platform for fostering international academic exchangeand cooperation. SIFT has entered into a partnership agreement onthe cooperative doctoral programs with the Swiss Graduate School ofPublic Administration (Institut des hautes études en administrationpublique or IDHEAP), according to which the two sides shall deliverjoint Ph.D. programs such as WTO and International BusinessGovernance, and International Public Administration. ProfessorZhang Lei, SIFT Chair-holder and Dean of SIFT School of WTOResearch and Education (SWTORE), attended the Annual WTO ChairsConference in Geneva in June 2011 and the ceremony of the launch ofthe WTO Chair in Singapore in October 2011.
The WCP is a platform for serving the country and society. InAugust 2011, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce decidedto support the development of the SWTORE. The China WTO TradePolicy Review Center under the SWTORE will serve as an academicbase for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, providing empiricalresearch, policy advice and outreach activities in the area of WTOtrade policy review for a 5-year period.