TRTA: TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Academic support

Developing partnerships between the WTO Secretariat and the trade-related academic community in WTO members is at the core of WTO technical assistance and training.  These partnerships enhance the ability of the WTO to train government officials and to build capacity for such training in developing countries. They also contribute to the development of WTO-related curricula in academic institutions and promote WTO-relevant research that helps to strengthen WTO members' negotiating capacity.  

WTO Chairs Programme

The WTO Chairs Programme aims to support trade-related academic activities by universities and research institutions in developing and least-developed countries.  The programme has three pillars: research, curriculum development and outreach activities.  Other activities with academic institutions are also organised when sufficient resources are available.

 

Document dissemination programme

The document dissemination programme for universities helps to create a WTO “library” at these institutions. The WTO disseminates, on a yearly basis, a set of WTO publications, in both hard copy and electronic formats, to groups of universities from developing countries, with a view to facilitating students' access to this information.

 

Support programme for doctoral studies

The WTO's PhD Support Programme aims to promote WTO-related research by doctoral students from developing countries.  The fellowships are offered to selected students who conduct research at the WTO for a period of up to six months during the final phase of their doctoral thesis.  With the assistance of a WTO mentor, the doctoral students increase their expertise in the research topic of the thesis and deliver a presentation towards the end of the assignment.