Austria supports trade-related academic activities in LDCs

The government of Austria has contributed EUR 200,000 to help academic institutions in developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs) build their expertise in trade policy, international trade economics, international relations, and international economic law.

The donations made to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Thursday, January 7, 2021, is part of the Global Trust Fund (GTF) dedicated to supporting the new phase of the WTO Chairs Programme.

Under this capacity-building program, partner institutions receive financial and technical support from the WTO for trade-related research, curriculum development, and outreach activities. The Programme helps to develop institutional capacity to advise governments and key stakeholders on trade policy issues.

Receiving the donations on behave of the WTO was the Deputy Director-General Yonov Frederick Agah, who oversees development matters in the WTO.

“Austria’s contribution is very welcome. It will pave the way for facilitating new research and policy advice to help policymakers in developing countries and LDCs develop trade-related strategies to boost export opportunities and further their countries’ integration into the global economy”, said Deputy Director-General Yonov Frederick Agah.

Austria’s Federal Minister for Digital, Business, and Enterprise, Margarete Schramböck, also said during the presentations that “this is Austria’s first GTF donation to the WTO Chairs Programme, one of the WTO’s technical assistance activities that Austria has followed with a great interest for several years. Overall, Austria has donated over CHF 5 million to the various WTO trust funds over nearly 20 years”.

Launched in 2010 as a capacity-building program, the WTO Chairs Programme  aims at enhancing knowledge and understanding of the multilateral trading system among academics and policymakers in beneficiary countries.

It promotes and supports trade-related academic activities at universities and research institutions. The WTO provides financial, scientific, and technical support to its partners concerning research, curriculum development, and outreach activities.

In December, the WTO launched a call for applications for the Programme’s new phase. Universities and research institutions in developing countries, LDCs, recently acceded WTO members and acceding governments are currently invited to submit their applications.

Since the launch of the Programme ten years ago, the WTO has provided financial support to 19 institutions in countries across Africa, Asia, and South and Central America in the form of yearly grants of up to CHF 50,000 per chair for a maximum of four years. The Programme has successfully generated strong links with government policymakers, business stakeholders, and research institutions within a network of universities on all continents.

Applications from least-developed countries and regions currently lacking representation in the program are particularly encouraged.

Chair-holders will be chosen through a competitive selection process organized by the WTO Secretariat and the program’s Advisory Board.

The criteria to be used include potential for developing capacities at the host institution; relevance of research topics concerning trade policy and WTO-related issues; quality of research proposals; expected results concerning the offering of new and updated courses; potential for interaction with policy-making institutions (such as government departments); expected results concerning networking with other academic institutions; strategy for future human and financial sustainability; and potential for maintaining a team of critical mass in the host institution to collaborate in chair-holder activities. 

Up to 21 academic institutions will be selected to participate in this four-year cycle starting at the beginning of 2021. The application deadline is January 15, 2021. 

Academic institutions established in developing and least-developed countries as well as acceding and recently acceded countries which are members or observers of the WTO are welcome to apply. The program will be implemented through partnership agreements between the WTO Secretariat and the selected institutions.