The Directors

Professor Thomas Cottier

Thomas Cottier, Managing Director of the World Trade Institute and the Institute of European and International Economic Law, is Professor of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern. He directs the national research programme on trade law and policy (NCCR Trade Regulation: From Fragmentation to Coherence) located at the WTI. He is an associate editor of several journals. He was a visiting professor at the Graduate Institute, Geneva and also currently teaches at the Europa Institut Saarbrücken, Germany and at Wuhan University, China. He was a member of the Swiss National Research Council from 1997 to 2004 and served on the board of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) Rome during the same period. He served the Baker & McKenzie law firm as Of Counsel from 1998 to 2005.

Prof. Cottier has a long-standing involvement in GATT/WTO activities. He served on the Swiss negotiating team of the Uruguay Round from 1986 to 1993, first as Chief negotiator on dispute settlement and subsidies for Switzerland and subsequently as Chief negotiator on TRIPs. He held several positions in the Swiss External Economic Affairs Department and was the Deputy-Director General of the Swiss Intellectual Property Office. In addition to his conceptual work in the fields of services and intellectual property and legal counselling, he has also served as a member or chair of several GATT and WTO panels. Prof. Cottier has written and publishes on a wide range of trade and international law issues.

Pierre Sauvé

Pierre Sauvé is Deputy Managing Director and Director of Studies at the World Trade Institute (WTI), in Berne, Switzerland, where he also directs research on preferential trade under the NCCR-Trade project. He holds Visiting Professor appointments at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium and at the University of Barcelona, whose LL.M. program in international economic law and policy (IELPO) he advises. He was a Visiting Professor at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques’ (Sciences-Po) in Paris, France in 2003-04 and at the London School of Economics in 2008. He served as a senior economist in the OECD Trade Directorate from 1993 to 2002, a period during which he also taught at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and was appointed Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. (1998-2000). Prior to joining the OECD, he served as services negotiator within the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Office of North American Free Trade Negotiations (1991-93). He was previously a staff member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in Geneva, Switzerland (1988-91) as well as the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland (1987-88). Mr. Sauvé was educated in economics and international relations at the Université du Québec à Montreal and Carleton University in Canada as well as at Cambridge and Oxford universities in the United Kingdom. He has advised the governments of a number of OECD and developing countries and served as a consultant to leading regional and multilateral agencies involved in trade, finance and development. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of International Economic Law, is a Consulting Editor on the Advisory Group of the Journal of International Business Studies and a Member of the Review Committee of UNCTAD’s Series on International Investment and Development. He served as a member of the Warwick Commission on the Future of the Multilateral Trading System in 2007.

Programme Administrators

Nick May

Nick May is the Publisher at CMP Publishing. He has over 20 years experience of the industry and has always specialised in International Law, with particular emphasis on International Economic Law. He has commissioned and published over 200 titles in the area, has organised conferences throughout the world and instigated the distance learning programme with the WTI. Please direct all admission and programme regulation queries relating to the distance learning programme enquiries to him. 

Email: nick@cmppublishing.com

Jane Mueller

Jane Müller, a Swiss native, took up the position as Research Fellow in November 2007 and takes care of the distance learning programme and courses. She is also working on her PhD on the trade in products based on  stem cell research.
She holds a Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree from University College London, Great Britain, and a Master of Law (MLaw) degree from the University of Bern, Switzerland. During her postgraduate studies she specialised in European and International Economic Law and wrote her master thesis on ‘The stem cell business: Can research regulate cloning itself’?

Previous experience includes working for a City of London law firm.

In her free time she enjoys various sports and going to museums.

Email: jane.mueller@wti.org

Tutors

Sadeq Z. Bigdeli

Sadeq Z. Bigdeli holds an LLB from Tehran University and an LLM from Harvard Law School. At Harvard, Sadeq was a member of submission committees of Harvard International Law Journal and Harvard Environmental Law Review. He is also a summa cum laude graduate of the Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) programme of the World Trade Institute (University of Bern). His PhD on "Energy and Climate Subsidies in International Economic Law" was awarded summa cum laude by the University of Berne (Faculty of Law) and was recognized by examiners as a 'significant contribution to the field'.

Sadeq has delivered lectures at the post-graduate level at the Universities of Bern, Neuchâtel, Zurich and St.Gallen and presented papers in a number of international conferences such as the American Society of International Law and the Society of International Economic Law as well as international organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme. He has been an observer of the Committee of International Law on Biotechnology of the International Law Association. In 2007-8, Sadeq was an acting alternate leader of NCCR (Swiss National Science Foundation) Trade Regulation, which focused on energy and climate Change from the perspective of WTO law and policy. In that capacity he co-edited a volume on International Trade Regulation and the Mitigation of Climate published by Cambridge University Press (2009) to which he also contributed a chapter. Sadeq’s publications in the field of climate change and WTO law of subsidies are widely cited by prominent scholars in the field. Sadeq is experienced in holding training sessions on trade regulation for government officials and business communities from both developed and developing countries. He also has more than three years of professional experience in legal practice in the Middle East on international business matters including contracts, foreign direct investment and energy.

At the University of Waikato School of Law, Sadeq teaches Transnational Business Law in the undergraduate fourth year programme and International Trade Regulation at postgraduate level. His main research interests are international trade both from public (regulatory) and private (commercial transactions) perspectives, global governance and the evolvement of global administrative law, comparative regulatory policy and trade and climate change.

Email: sadeq.zbigdeli@wti.org

Module 1: Foundations, Structure and Operation of the WTO
Module 2: Constitutional Principles of the WTO
Module 3: Market Access and Trade in Goods
Module 4: Contingency Protection, State Aid and Subsidies
Module 5: Trade in Agriculture

Michael Burkard

Michael Burkard is a practitioner with several years of experience both in judiciary and administration. As staff member of the finance committee of the Swiss Federal Parliament, he gained insights into legislation, finance and economic policy.

Mr Burkard did his postgraduate studies at the Institute of European and International Economic Law at the University of Berne where he centred on European and WTO law, customs legislation, the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and economic development. His master's thesis, entitled 'The Impact of Agricultural Export Subsidies and Food Aid on Agrobiodiversity' focused on sustainable agriculture and formed part of the research project 'Rights to Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge', funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC/DEZA).

Several extended study visits to Uganda and Tanzania, together with his family background, have enabled Mr Burkard to gain expertise in trade related aspects of East African countries and the East African Community (EAC).

Email: michael.burkard@wti.org

Module 3: Market Access and Trade in Goods
Module 5: Trade in Agriculture

Mira Burri

Mira Burri has been a senior research fellow at the World Trade Institute since the very beginning of the NCCR Trade project. During the NCCR Phase 1 (2005-2009), Mira was the alternate leader of the eDiversity group.

Next to her NCCR projects, she is now leading a separate research effort, sponsored by the Swiss Science Foundation, on the reform of the institution of public service broadcasting in the digital age. Mira is a lecturer in international media law at the University of Bern, as well as a member of the MILE faculty and a guest lecturer at the Europe Institute of the University of Basel.

Mira received her law degree from the University of Sofia and a Master of Advanced European Studies (MAES) from the Europe Institute Basel. Her doctoral thesis dealt with EC communications and competition law (Cameron May 2007) and was awarded the Professor Walther Hug prize for one of the best doctoral theses in law in Switzerland (2006/2007). Prior to joining the NCCR in 2005, Mira was a research fellow at the University of Lucerne and contributed actively to establishing the i-call research centre.

Mira is the co-editor of the publications Free Trade versus Cultural Diversity (Schulthess 2004); Digital Rights Management: The End of Collecting Societies? (Staempfli et al. 2005) as well as more recently, Intellectual Property and Traditional Cultural Expressions in a Digital Environment (Edward Elgar 2008) and Governance of Digital Game Environments and Cultural Diversity (Edward Elgar 2010).

Mira is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Communications Law and Policy, as well as a rapporteur to the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Mira consults the European Parliament on cultural diversity matters.

Email: mira.burri@wti.org

Module 1: Foundations, Structure and Operation of the WTO
Module 6: Trade in Service

Panagiotis Delimatsis

Panagiotis Delimatsis is Associate Professor of Law at Tilburg University, The Netherlands and a Senior Research Fellow at the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern. Panagiotis has extensive expertise in European and international economic law. He is member of the Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) and deals with the international trade law and economics aspects of the TILEC research programme. His research focuses on regulatory diversity, domestic regulatory reform, good governance and institutional design, and the effects of unduly burdensome domestic regulations on factor mobility. Panagiotis has published extensively on international trade and European law issues in top refereed journals. He is the author of 'International Trade in Services and Domestic Regulations – Necessity, Transparency, and Regulatory Diversity' (International Economic Law Series, Oxford University Press, 2007). Panagiotis has also co-edited two collective volumes, the first on 'The Prospects of International Trade Regulation' (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and the second on 'Financial Services at the Crossroads – Implications for Supervision, Institutional Design and Trade' (Kluwer Law International, 2011). Panagiotis has held positions with the WTO Appellate Body Secretariat, the UNCTAD and the International Centre for Sports Studies in Neuchâtel, as well as guest professorships at the Universities of Neuchâtel, Lausanne, Freiburg and Saarbrücken. Panagiotis regularly advises governments and undertakes projects relating to the regulation of services industries and developing countries’ participation. 

Email: panagiotis.delimatsis@wti.org

Module 1: Foundations, Structure and Operation of the WTO
Module 6: Trade in Services

Nicolas Diebold

Nicolas was admitted to the Aargau bar in 2006 and the New York State bar in 2005. He joined Froriep Renggli as an associate in 2009.

Nicolas’ practice focuses on Swiss and European competition law as well as domestic and international trade and market regulation. He also advises in the fields of intellectual property law and commercial law.

Nicolas studied law at the Universities of Geneva and Zurich (lic.iur. Geneva) and Duke Law School (LL.M.). He was a teaching assistant at the University of Berne/World Trade Institute (PhD) and a visiting scholar at Stanford Law School. Nicolas completed clerkships at the European Commission and the UN Office of Legal Affairs. His working languages are German, English and French.

Nicolas is a member of the Zurich Bar Association and the Swiss Bar Association.

Email: nicolas.diebold@wti.org

Module 2: Constitutional Principles of the WTO
Module 6: Trade in Services

Christian Häberli

Christian Häberli works as a Senior Research Fellow (NCCR Trade/WP4) at the World Trade Institute of Bern University on various trade, agriculture and development policy issues. His publications, lectures (WTI and overseas) and other knowledge transfer activities address these three large issues at their intersections. His present main research topic is food security from a trade and investment angle, including in a human rights perspective.

Graduation in 1977 with a Ph.D. on the subject of African Investment Law. Additional academic degrees in Development Sciences in Geneva (1975) and in Theology in Bern (2009). Professional career with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and with the Swiss Government, involving assignments in Madagascar, Thailand, Nepal, and Switzerland. Trade negotiator for Switzerland in the GATT and the WTO during the Uruguay and the Doha Rounds (1986 to 2007). Chair of the WTO Committee on Agriculture (Regular Session). Panellist in five dispute settlement panels, namely EC – Bananas III, Japan – Apples, EC – Biotech (GMO), China – Trading Rights and United States – Country of Origin Labelling (COOL).

Sufian Jusoh

Sufian Jusoh is the Manager of WTI Consulting in Malaysia, which focuses on international trade and international investment, especially in biotechnology, green technology, food safety and healthcare. Sufian Jusoh is also the Advisor on Biotechnology Industry to the State of Perak, Perak, Malaysia.

In biotechnology policy and investment, Sufian is now a Project Leader of an enzyme production project in Malaysia. In green technology and CDM, Sufian is involved in establishing several such projects and business developments in Malaysia. Sufian used to serve as a Committee Member, resource person and consultant to many international organisations in the field of biotechnology, green technology, intellectual property and international investment, including to UNCTAD, WIPO and APEC. Sufian also acted as consultant to establishing the Malaysian Biosafety Framework.

Sufian co-ordinates WTI training programmes in Southeast Asia for trade officials and diplomats in the field of international trade and international investment. Sufian has also assisted many countries such as Viet Nam, India, Palestine and China.  

Sufian is a Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln’s Inn, London and holds an LLB from Cardiff Law School, an LLM from University College London and a PhD (Summa cum Laude) from the University of Bern.

Email: sufian.jusoh@wti.org

Module 3: Market Access and Trade in Goods
Module 7: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

Rachel Liechti-McKee

Rachel Liechti-McKee studied law at the University of Bern and graduated in 2001. From 2002 - 2007 she worked as a research fellow for the Institute of European and International Economic Law of the University of Bern. As of January 2008 she works as scientific collaborator and coordinator and deputy of the director at the same institute.

Email: rachel.liechti@iew.unibe.ch

Module 7: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

Olga Nartova

Olga Nartova has been a research fellow at the World Trade Institute since 2007. She is a co-leader of Work Package 5 on Trade and Climate Change in Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR Trade Regulation) and prior to this Olga was an acting alternate leader of the research project on Energy in WTO Law. Olga is a qualified lawyer in Russia (2002), she received her law degree from Moscow State Academy of Law. She also obtained a Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) (summa cum laude) from the World Trade Institute in Berne and holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics. Olga completed her doctoral thesis on “Energy Services and Competition Policies under WTO Law” at the University of Bern. She is an external consultant at WTI Advisors and International Business & Legal Consultants and has also been an advisor at the ICTSD. Olga is a co-editor of “International Trade Regulation and the Mitigation of Climate Change: World Trade Forum” (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2009). She has published and lectured on trade and climate change, energy law, and trade law and policy of Eastern Europe.

Email: olga.nartova@wti.org

Module 3: Market Access and Trade in Goods
Module 4: Contingency Protection, State Aid and Subsidies

Matthias Oesch

Matthias Oesch is Assistant Professor of European and International Economic Law at the University of Berne. Furthermore, he is a Senior Research Fellow at the World Trade Institute (WTI) and a lecturer at the University of St. Gallen. Previously, he worked as legal counsel in the WTO Division of the Federal Department of Economics, Switzerland, having inter alia represented Switzerland before the Appellate Body in the US – Steel case and in the DSU Review (2003-2005). He also worked, as attorney-at-law, in a law firm in Zurich (2008-2010). He is a member of the Berne Bar (1999), received his LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2000) and his Dr. as well as his PD from the University of Berne (2003 and 2008, respectively). He has written on WTO and EU trade matters and on Swiss law, including three books: Standards of Review in WTO Dispute Resolution (2003), International Trade Regulation: Law and Policy in the WTO, the European Union and Switzerland (2005, co-authored with Thomas Cottier), and Differenzierung und Typisierung: Zur Dogmatik der Rechtsgleichheit in der Rechtsetzung (2008).

Email: matthias.oesch@iew.unibe.ch

Module 1: Foundations, Structure and Operation of the WTO
Module 2: Constitutional Principles of the WTO

Marion Panizzon

Marion Panizzon is Assistant Professor of International Economic Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Bern and the WTI. She studied law at the University of Fribourg, obtained an LLM at Duke Law School and earned a PhD in Law (Dr. iur.) from the University of Bern in 2004. Before joining the WTI in 2005, Marion was a Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University Law Center and at the Institute for Comparative Law, University of Lausanne. Drawing on transnational legal studies and global governance theories, the focus of her current research lies on international trade and migration with a strong emphasis on the interplay of free movement regimes in regional frameworks, bilateral migration agreements, Swiss and EU mobility partnerships.

In 2010, Marion was elected officer of the International Economic Law Interest Group of the European Society of International Law (ESIL). Marion’s work has been published in the American Journal of International Law, the European Journal of International Law, the Melbourne Journal of International Law, the Journal of Migration and Refugee Issues, the Journal of World Trade and the Nordic Journal of International Law.

Her book publications focus on selected topics of international economic law and include ‘Good Faith in the Jurisprudence of the WTO’, Hart Publishing 2006, ‘Intellectual Property: Trade, Competition and Sustainable Development’, Michigan University Press 2003 (co-edited with Thomas Cottier and Petros C. Mavroidis), ‘GATS and the Regulation of International Trade in Services’, Cambridge University Press 2008 (co-edited with Pierre Sauvé and Nicole Pohl) and ‘Multilayered Migration Governance’, Routledge 2011 (co-edited with Sandra Lavenex and Rahel Kunz).

Alongside the NCCR Trade Work Package leadership, Marion is conducting a study sponsored by the Swiss Science Foundation, on the theoretical law foundations and transformative processes in international law-making on migration. Marion's teaching experience spans from WTO trade law, international migration law to legal foundations.

Email: marion.panizzon@wti.org

Lena Schneller

Lena Schneller studied law at the University of Zurich and the Humboldt University Berlin. She was a research fellow at the Institute of European and International Economic Law (IEW) at the University of Bern from 2005–2008. Since November 2007 she is a doctoral student in the NCCR-project 'Democracy 21' in the team IP 21 'Legitimacy and democracy in multilateral integration'. In her PhD thesis she analyses the democratic potential of the WTO and establishes a framework for multilateral democracy.

Previously, Lena Schneller held positions as a scientific assistant with the law firm Steinbrüchel and Hüssy in Zurich as well as an intern in the legal department of Tamedia AG.

Email: lena.schneller@wti.org

Module 1: Foundations, Structure and Operation of the WTO
Module 2: Constitutional Principles of the WTO
Module 7: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

Michelangelo Temmerman

Michelangelo Temmerman, a native of Belgium, holds a law degree from the University of Gent in Belgium, as well as an LL.M. in international and human rights law from the University of Bern in Switzerland. He also obtained a Ph.D. in intellectual property law. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Thomas Cottier, he wrote his thesis on intellectual property and how it applies to animal genetic resources. During his Ph.D.-time, he was elected to be PhD Representative to the WTI-NCCR Management Board.

Currently, he works as a post-doc research fellow of the Swiss 'NCCR Trade Regulation' and as a lecturer in intellectual property at the University of Bern. Michelangelo published several articles on the patenting of biotechnological inventions, on public-private partnerships and IPRs, on the so called 'evergreening of patents' and on the international harmonisation of biotechnology law. His current research projects include an investigation into the legal notion of abuse of patents, and a study on sui generis IP rights for animal genetic resources.

Email: michelangelo.temmerman@wti.org

Module 7: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights