Launch WTI–INCAE Regional Economic Integration Programme

Distinguished guests were Anabel González, Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, Luis Alvarez, Vice Minister of Economy, Costa Rica; Urs Brönnimann, Charge d'Affairs, Swiss Embassy in Costa Rica; Humberto López, Lead Economist Central American Department, The World Bank; and Thomas Cottier, Managing Director of the World Trade Institute (WTI), Switzerland. During the ceremony INCAE and WTI signed an Academic Cooperation Agreement in which both institutions agreed to cooperate on a range of higher education and specialised training activities in the fields of international trade and investment regulation, including executive education and research. Prof.Thomas Cottier was the keynote speaker and delivered the inaugural lecture of the programme entitled: The Challenges for the Global Trading System.

The INCAE–WTI programme, in partnership with SIECA, The World Bank and the Government of Spain, covers the most important, relevant topics relating to economic integration, international trade and investment for Latin American and Caribbean countries. The courses are taught by some of the world’s best professionals and academics in the fields of economics, law, political economy, and business strategy.

Fifty students from Central America, Panama, Argentina and Colombia will learn to combine the political aspects of regional integration with a comprehensive legal interpretation, rigorous economic analysis and a realistic business perspective, while establishing contacts with colleagues and faculty members from around the world.

The programme is structured into four, non-consecutive, weekly modules. Topics covered include the fundamental principles of international trade regulation, new frontiers in services and investment rule-making, the rising relevance of competition policy, new challenges in agricultural trade liberalisation, the increasing links between trade remedies and climate change mitigation, cutting-edge research and policy perspectives on non-tariff barriers, as well as key challenges in commercial diplomacy.