A roundtable discussion on fostering cooperation and engagement among stakeholders for Việt Nam's commitments in WTO and new-generation FTAs. — Photo courtesy of the FTU

 HÀ NỘI — The Foreign Trade University (FTU) on May 6 officially participated in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chairs Programme phase 3 for 2022-26.

The FTU, among 17 educational institutions selected from 126 educational institutions in 54 countries around the world, is also the only educational institution in Việt Nam to join the programme.

FTU rector Bùi Anh Tuấn said that the Foreign Trade University’s WTO Chair Programme aimed to promote collaboration among stakeholders, government and non-government bodies, public and private sectors, researchers and policymakers and implementers in international and domestic organisations participating in FTA negotiations and direct beneficiaries of the negotiation results.

“With the desire to address the huge gap between Government commitments from a policy perspective and the role of stakeholders in practice, we propose solutions to connect stakeholders in Việt Nam's commitments in the WTO and new FTA generation," said Tuấn.

 "The FTU will carry out many activities around the three main pillars of the programme: research activities, training programmes and outreach activities with direct support from the WTO and the cooperation of partners representing stakeholders such as ministries, VCCI, businesses and industry associations.”

The FTU will focus on activities in strengthening cooperation between those in the industry, academic institutions and government in implementing Việt Nam's commitments in the WTO and new free trade agreements (FTAs). 

The FTU’s WTO Chair programme will focus on activities on building capacity for the public sector, policymakers, and subjects in the industry, such as MSMEs and trade associations.

It will also strengthen the capacity of FTU faculty members, research and teaching activities through sharing experiences from experts from the WTO and other research and education organisations and building a network of research, consultation and creating a connection between enterprises, associations and state agencies from the public sector on commercial commitments.

The WTO Chair programme was launched in 2010 by the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization to improve knowledge and understanding of the world trading system among experts, scholars and policy-makers in developing countries. — VNS