Marking a successful four-year partnership between WTO and NUS in hosting the WTO Regional Trade Policy Course for Asia-Pacific 2010

04 August 2010

The 12-week World Trade Organisation (WTO) Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC) for Asia-Pacific 2010 held its Diploma Ceremony and Closing Dinner on Friday, 30 July 2010. The event marked the end of a successful four-year partnership between WTO and NUS for the delivery of RTPCs for the Asia-Pacific region.

NUS had beaten stiff competition from other universities from Malaysia, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei to win the bid to host the highly prestigious RTPC from 2007 to 2009. It was awarded an extension to host the event for an unprecedented fourth year in 2010.

The RTPC has thus far provided more than 100 participants ― mainly senior trade policy officials ― from more than 25 countries and economies in the Asia-Pacific region with a solid foundation of knowledge about the WTO and its functions in relation to the Asia-Pacific region. Another key feature of the course is the joint delivery of the course by trade policy specialists from universities in the region, including NUS and officials from the WTO Secretariat.

The Guest-of-Honour for the event was President and CEO of Ascendas Pte Ltd Ms Chong Siak Ching. Ms Chong was also the Patroness for this year's RTPC. WTO was represented at the event by its Deputy Director-General Ms Valentine Sendanyoye Rugwabiza.

This year, a total of 25 participants from 23 countries received their Diplomas. The objective of the RTPC is to widen their understanding of trade policy matters, the multilateral trading system, international trade law and the functioning of the WTO, so as to promote more active participation in the work of WTO.

"This partnership with the WTO over the last four years has been immensely productive and valuable for the NUS law school. We look forward to working with the WTO on future training programmes for senior policy makers from the Asia-Pacific region," said Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof Tan Cheng Han, who represented NUS at the event.

Leading the team that was set up to manage the RTPC in Singapore was Academic Coordinator, Adjunct Professor Margaret Liang. Adjunct Prof Liang specialises in WTO Trade Law and was Singapore's negotiator during the Uruguay Round negotiations. She was assisted by Mr Ng Swee Liang, who was the Administrative Coordinator for the RTPCs from 2007 to 2010.