World Trade Institute

What World Trade Institute does

The World Trade Institute is a non-profit academic center of excellence embedded within the University of Bern, Switzerland, focused on interdisciplinary research and graduate education at the intersection of international trade law, economics, and political science. It is not an independent legal entity but an interfaculty institute funded through University of Bern allocations, competitive research grants (Swiss National Science Foundation, EU Horizon 2020, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SNIS, Canada Foundation for Innovation, World Bank), and program fees. Its core academic portfolio comprises two flagship graduate degrees — MILE (Master of International Law and Economics, MAS) and TRAIL+ (LL.M. in Trade, Investment and Law) — complemented by a doctoral programme, CAS/DAS continuing-education certificates, the seasonal WTI Academy (winter/summer sessions), and tailor-made executive training for governments and organizations.

The institute's research infrastructure is anchored by two proprietary datasets that constitute its most distinctive technical assets: EDIT, a publicly accessible full-text database of 3,850+ international investment agreements co-developed with the University of Ottawa, and DESTA, a manually coded dataset covering 746+ preferential trade agreements from 1948 to 2023 (now expanding into LLM-assisted analysis under DESTA 3.0). It also maintains an in-house library managed with the University Library Bern and the Sacerdoti/Feliciano Collection of 196 binders of WTO Appellate Body deliberation documents (1995–2009). A specialized sub-brand, SHALE (Swiss Hub for Air and Space Law and Economics), extends research into aviation and space governance. The annual World Trade Forum, co-organized with the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, functions as the institute's flagship convening platform.

WTI serves five primary personas — graduate students and early-career professionals, government officials and policy-makers, international-organization professionals (WTO, World Bank, UNCTAD, WIPO), trade lawyers and legal advisors, and academic researchers — through a direct-enrollment and institutional-training distribution model. Monetization combines tuition and program fees (Visiting Research Fellow access is publicly priced at CHF 700/month, with discounted multi-month packages up to CHF 6,300 per year) with competitively awarded research grants and bespoke executive-training contracts. A Global Impact Association partnership supports scholarships and outreach to students from low- and middle-income countries, while the WTI Alumni Association (WTIAA, formalized 2021) maintains a network of 600+ alumni across 100+ countries, reinforcing recruiting legitimacy and post-graduation stickiness. The institute has no traditional equity or venture ownership structure and reports no revenue or headcount figures.

Name

World Trade Institute

Legal name

World Trade Institute, University of Bern

Website

https://wti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The World Trade Institute is a non-profit academic center at the University of Bern offering graduate programs (MILE, TRAIL+), executive education, and proprietary research databases (EDIT, DESTA) on international trade law, investment, and economic governance for students, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Research — International Trade Law and Economics

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Compliance (Import/Export Controls, Customs) (EDABADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade Facilitation & Customs Modernization (BPADAMAB), Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance (BPAHAHAG), Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN)

Keywords

• International trade education
• Trade law programs
• Investment treaties research
• Economic governance training
• Graduate law programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The World Trade Institute is an academic center of excellence at the University of Bern offering graduate degree programs (MILE MAS and TRAIL+ LL.M.), executive and tailor-made training, CAS/DAS continuing education, and doctoral research in international trade law, economics, and political science. It also conducts interdisciplinary research and maintains proprietary analytical resources including the EDIT investment-treaty database and the DESTA preferential trade agreement dataset.

Product overview

The World Trade Institute (WTI) operates as a single integrated academic institution offering interconnected educational programs and research resources at the University of Bern. The core academic offerings consist of two graduate degree programs: the MILE (Master of International Law and Economics, MAS) and the TRAIL+ (Trade, Investment and Law, LL.M.), which share an interdisciplinary curriculum spanning law, economics, and political science. These are supplemented by the WTI Academy (Summer/Winter sessions) for continuing education, executive/tailor-made courses for institutional clients, and CAS/DAS professional certificates. The research infrastructure includes EDIT (Electronic Database of Investment Treaties, >3,850 treaties) and DESTA (Design of Trade Agreements dataset, 746+ PTAs), which are core analytical resources alongside the WTI Library and the Sacerdoti/Feliciano WTO Appellate Body Collection. SHALE (Swiss Hub for Air and Space Law and Economics) functions as a specialized thematic sub-brand under the research pillar, while the World Trade Forum is the annual flagship conference. Doctoral programs and the Visiting Research Fellow program complete the academic portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Swiss Hub for Air and Space Law and Economics (SHALE): An interdisciplinary platform for research, policy dialogue, and education at the intersection of aviation, space activities, international law, and economic governance.

Products and services

• MILE (MAS) — Master of International Law and Economics An internationally renowned graduate program providing advanced interdisciplinary training at the intersection of international trade law, economics, and political science for prospective students and early-career professionals.
• TRAIL+ (LL.M.) — Trade, Investment and Law A Master of Laws program offering advanced interdisciplinary training in international trade, investment, and economic governance for lawyers and legal professionals.
• WTI Academy (Summer/Winter) A flexible, high-impact learning experience offered in both winter and summer sessions, providing credit-bearing modules for professional development and a global perspective on trade and investment.
• Executive Training / Tailor-made Courses Customized high-level executive education programs for individuals, organizations, and governments focused on the practical application of trade law, policy, and regulation.
• CAS/DAS Programs (Certificate/Diploma of Advanced Studies) Flexible continuing education programs for professionals seeking to deepen expertise in international trade and economic law, designed for government, international organizations, law, business, academia, and civil society.
• Doctoral Program / Graduate School of Economic Globalization and Integration An interdisciplinary doctoral research program at the intersection of law, economics, and political science, part of the Graduate School of Economic Globalization and Integration.
• EDIT — Electronic Database of Investment Treaties A publicly accessible full-text database of more than 3,850 international investment agreements (IIAs), facilitating advanced research, policy analysis, and comparative treaty analysis.
• DESTA — Design of Trade Agreements A comprehensive dataset on the design of preferential trade agreements (PTAs), covering over 746 manually coded PTAs from 1948 to 2023, supporting empirical and theoretical research on trade agreement architecture.
• WTI Library An in-house lending library providing access to monographs, periodicals, WTO-related materials, European Court of Justice reports, and extensive e-research resources including online journals and trade law databases, managed by the University Library Bern.
• Sacerdoti/Feliciano Collection of WTO Appellate Body Papers (1995-2009) A collection of 196 binders of WTO Appellate Body deliberation documents housed at the WTI, accessible under strict conditions including a 15-year adoption rule and in-room consultation only.
• SHALE — Swiss Hub for Air and Space Law and Economics An interdisciplinary research platform at WTI focusing on aviation regulation, space governance, sustainability of air and space activities, and the economic frameworks shaping global aerospace markets.
• World Trade Forum The annual flagship conference co-organized with the Global Governance Programme at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (European University Institute), bringing together researchers and practitioners in trade and development.
• Visiting Research Fellow Program A prestigious program providing scholars access to WTI's interdisciplinary academic environment, renowned faculty, research resources, seminars, and workshops in international trade, investment law, and economic policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Alumni employed in international organizations including WTO, World Bank, UNCTAD, WIPO, UNEP, ITC
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, supporting and major.

• University of BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTI is a center of excellence at the University of Bern, embedded within the university's academic framework and benefiting from its infrastructure, libraries, and institutional resources.
• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (European University Institute)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes the annual World Trade Forum flagship conference with the Global Governance Programme at the Robert Schuman Centre.
• University of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing and maintaining the Electronic Database of Investment Treaties (EDIT).
• World BanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the EDIT project and collaborates on trade and investment research initiatives.
• University of SalzburgsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution in the DESTA project with Founding Research team member Andreas Dür.
• McGill UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution in DESTA project with Founding Research team member Leonardo Baccini.
• Oxford University / Bayreuth UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institutions in DESTA project with Founding Research team member Karolina Milewicz.
• Global Impact Association (GIA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration to fund scholarships, internships, research initiatives, and outreach activities supporting students from low- and middle-income countries.
• Keystone Academic SolutionssupportingTechnology or IntegrationThird-party service provider for lead forms used in the admission process for WTI programs.
• Google AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationWeb analytics service used to analyze website user data and optimize online presence.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins: U.S. graduate program in international economics, policy, and international law with strong practitioner placement; competes for the same internationally-minded graduate students interested in trade and investment policy.
• International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD): Geneva-based think tank focused on international trade policy and sustainable development; comparable research agenda on trade agreements, capacity building, and policy dialogue, though organized as a non-profit think tank rather than a graduate school.
• Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID): Swiss-based graduate school offering interdisciplinary master's and doctoral programs in international affairs, trade, and economics with a strong practitioner orientation toward international organizations — directly comparable academic model and target student.
• Cologne Centre for Trade and Investment (CCTI): German academic center running interdisciplinary graduate and executive programs on international trade and investment law and economics; comparable scale and focus on bridging research with executive training.
• Hague Academy of International Law: Prestigious international law teaching and research institution offering courses and programs in international law including trade and investment; comparable specialized pedagogical positioning.
• The Fletcher School, Tufts University: Graduate school combining law, diplomacy, and economics with concentration in international trade and investment law; comparable interdisciplinary model and similar placement of graduates in government and international organizations.

Broad incumbents

• London School of Economics (LSE) — Department of International Relations: Broad U.K. university with deep international economics and trade-policy research footprint; competes for the same international graduate students and houses comparable global-affairs graduate programs.
• Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA): Top-tier U.S. graduate school with concentrations in international economic policy and trade; competes for the same internationally-mobile students pursuing policy careers in international organizations and government.
• Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA): Major French graduate school offering master's programs in international affairs with policy and law concentrations; overlaps with WTI on international economic governance and serves similar international student cohorts.

Regional players

• Trade Law Centre (TRALAC): African trade-focused capacity-building and research organization operating in parallel academic and policy niches; comparable trade-research focus though oriented toward African trade policy rather than European/global graduate training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/globalgovernanceprog/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-trade-institute
• Xx.com/WTIunibe
• Facebookfacebook.com/World.Trade.Institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Trade Institute