Students give Summer Academy high marks

This year saw a total of 49 individuals from 32 different countries attend one or more weeks, and most were very happy with their experience.  “It was an amazing experience,” commented one participant on Facebook, while another said it was “the best summer ever!”

This year’s Academy was attended by more women than men and, in conformity with the primary target market, 52 percent of all participants were aged between 18 and 29.

A number of participants benefitted from scholarships from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The World Bank Group was represented by 11 students.

The top countries in terms of origin were: Peru (10%), Netherlands (8%) and Chile, Ethiopia, Germany and Switzerland (6% each).

The majority of those attending gave very positive feedback on the course content and level of teaching. The social events – barbecues, city tour and film evenings, as well as a trip up the Gurten mountain – were appreciated by many.

The programme ran from 10 July to 25 August and was led by WTI Director of Studies Peter Van den Bossche. This year’s modules were on Frontiers of investment rule-making, in partnership with the University of Ottawa and the World Bank; Making markets contestable – exploring the trade and competition interface; Globalisation on trial – anti-globalisation, trade, income inequality and human rights; Sustainable development in trade and investment agreements; Frontiers in intellectual property governance; and Governance challenges in the digital economy.

Summer Academy modules may count towards a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) or a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in International Law and Economics.