International Trade Relations and Diplomacy

…Mutually agreed-on rules between independent rulers, states, and societies were then from the very outset the stuff of diplomacy. International trade diplomacy is as old as trade itself. Traders were diplomats, for they needed to gain peaceful access to distant markets. Diplomats were traders, for they were able to exchange information, gifts, and women, the mainstay of exchange between societies of those days. Today’s language of diplomacy is still very much the language of trade (trade-offs, deal etc.).

- excerpt from International Trade Relations and Diplomacy course materials


Description and Objectives

This course is an introductory guide for practitioners of international trade diplomacy. Extensive knowledge of economic theory is not assumed, but a certain familiarity with basic terms is of help. The course aims to provide an overview of the field, a map – if you prefer a red thread – which will help in finding one’s way more easily about the maze of trade diplomacy issues. As one becomes increasingly familiar with the subject, one will come to understand that each element marks a world of its own.

 

Course Outline

  1. International Trade Relations and Diplomacy - An Introduction: A brief historical perspective of the role of trade in the national and international economy. Terms are defined, and the goals of international trade policies and the main instruments are set out.
  2. The Multilateral Trading System (GATT/WTO and GATS): Multilateral trade is carried out mainly in the GATT/WTO framework. A brief introduction to its principles and component agreements is provided.
  3. The Current Status of the DOHA Round: The current multilateral negotiating round in trade, services and related matters is analysed.
  4. Elements of a Free Trade Agreement: The free trade agreement is the basic instrument for bi- or pluri-lateral integration (usually in a regional setting) beyond the multilateral WTO framework.
  5. Negotiating Free Trade Agreements – Processes, Actors, Structures: The management of international trade negotiations implies a complex national supporting process that involves all national stakeholders (manufacturers as well as services providers, importers, exporters, consumers, labour, civil society, and the government - Cabinet and Parliament - as well as public opinion - press, academia). Outcomes of international trade policies will find national approval only if they are based on an overall balance of interests among all participants. Proper procedures in creating such a balance are of the essence.
  6. Economic Functions in a Bilateral Embassy: The special role of a bilateral diplomatic mission in international trade relations is discussed.
  7. Economic Globalisation: The broad topic of globalisation is addressed in an open-ended manner. 
  8. International Migrations: The broad issue of the relevance of migration in economic development has been laid out. It is a natural complement to the topic of globalisation.

 

Who Should Apply

  • Practicing diplomats, civil servants, and others who work in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics;
  • Post-graduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practicing diplomats;
  • Post-graduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy;
  • Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.

 

Structure and Methodology

This course is conducted entirely online over a period of 10 weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments and references in the form of hypertext entries. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (for example, further discussion via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week’s topic. To complete the course successfully, participants must also write one or two essay assignments and a final examination. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction.

 

Lecturer(s)

Mr Aldo Matteucci, Diplo Senior Fellow
International Trade Relations and Diplomacy, Climate Change Diplomacy

Mr Aldo Matteucci graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) in Agriculture, and from Berkeley in Agricultural Economics. He spent three years in East Africa doing research on land use, then in Maryland, working on rural development. In 1977 he joined the Swiss Federal Office of Economic Affairs. He was deputy director of the EUREKA Secretariat in Brussels, and from 1994 to 2000, deputy secretary general of EFTA. He obtained early retirement upon leaving EFTA.

 

Ms Tracy Winters Evans
International Trade Relations and Diplomacy

Ms Tracy Winters Evans is a national of Trinidad and Tobago but currently lives and works in Brussels, Belgium. She is a part time lecturer with the International Management Institute and the CLL Centre for Languages of the University of Louvain. She has also taught at the Institute of International Relations, University of the West Indies and the University of the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao. In 2001 she obtained a Masters of Science degree in International Relations, with an emphasis on International Trade, from the University of the West Indies. In 1996, she graduated at the Bachelor's level with a Double Major in French and Spanish and a Minor in Portuguese. In 1997 she also obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations and in 2002, she received the Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology and Diplomacy. She has lectured on International Trade Relations and Diplomacy with Diplo for the last three years.

 

Words from Former Participants

Studying the International Trade Relations course online proved very useful for my work at the Embassy following developments in world trade and especially in WTO negotiations. The quality of the material supplied and the well-moderated discussions ensured that study was always well-focussed and enjoyable. It is very difficult to find such specific courses locally, especially offered in English, and there was the added benefit of being able to discuss the issues with people from a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints. The flexibility of the online system also ensures that study time can be more easily found during the working day.

Paul Garwood, Research Officer, Australian Embassy, Italy

The International Trade course was very useful and fruitful for me. It allowed me to better understand the international trade system as well as the current international negotiations, especially the Doha Round, and the importance and relevance of the FTAs, mechanisms that are used more and more by the countries to reach the objective of the liberalization of trade. I strongly recommend the course because it provides the student better tools to face our daily work as diplomats. The decision to write my dissertation on the issue of Association Agreements and Integration was, somehow, influenced by this course.

Patricia Duran, Second Secretary, Embassy of Peru in the Czech Republic

This course gave me a wide understanding of the current status of the DOHA Round in which my country, Burkina Faso, is strongly involved through the “Cotton Initiative” in partnership with Benin, Chad and Mali, about the cotton issue at the WTO. This course also helped me to increase my knowledge on waste, corruption and economic development and also on economic globalisation regarding Less Developed Countries (LCDs). As a lecturer, I am now able to provide useful information on international trade relations and diplomacy to my own students. This course is very helpful for the diplomats from LCDs in building skills for properly “marketing” their country in international system.

Dr Poussi Sawadogo, Université Libre du Burkina (ULB), Burkina Faso

 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have:

  • an undergraduate university degree; OR three years work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations;
  • sufficient ability in English language to undertake postgraduate level studies (including reading academic texts, discussing complex concepts with other course participants, and submitting written essay assignments of up to 2500 words in length);
  • unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers (please contact us for more details if you are in doubt about your level of access).

 

Fees

Course fees depend on whether you wish to obtain university credit for the course:

  • 755 euros (University of Malta Credit Course)
  • 575 euros (Diplo Certificate Course)

Applicants must pay full fees upon official acceptance into the course. The fee includes:

  • University of Malta application fee (where applicable)
  • Tuition fee
  • Course orientation pack (where applicable - may include text and/or references and Textus Learning User Guide)
  • Access to all required course materials online, via Diplo’s online classroom
  • Personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff and other participants
  • Online technical support: requests will be answered within 24 hours
  • Certificate of completion issued by DiploFoundation (upon meeting all course requirements for participation, assignments and examination)

 

Financial Assistance

Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats from developing countries. To apply for a scholarship please include your CV or resume, and a letter outlining your interest in the course and financial need, with your application package.

 

How to Apply

A number of routes for application are available, depending on the needs of the applicant: