Participant Reflections on the 2021 WTO & U.S. Trade Law and Policy Summer Program
The WTO & U.S. Trade Law and Policy Summer Program took place from June 22 - July 2, 2021. This program covered topics including trade and peace, vaccines, intellectual property, and more. Hear from Amanda Athahyde and Isabelle Guero, participants in this year's course, on her experience learning from world renowned trade practitioners, scholars and academics.
Tell us a little about your background.
Amanda Athahyde: I am a Professor of Corporate Law, Trade and Competition Law at the University of Brasilia (UnB). I hold a PhD in Commercial Law from the São Paulo University (USP), a BA in Law from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), a BA in Business Administration in the UNA Centre. I was an international student in the Université Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne, and am the author of two books, several papers and book chapters in the area. I am a a Federal Civil Servant, with additional experience in the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Economy in the negotiation of international cooperation and facilitation investment agreements.
Isabelle Guero: I am a young international trade lawyer in São Paulo/Brazil. I am working in this area for 3 years now. I graduated in law school in the end of 2019 and since then I participated in a trade defense course, promoted by Women Inside Trade (WIT) in 2020 and currently I was selected as a special student in the International Trade and Competition Law course of a public university located in Brasília/Brazil, that is called UNB. This is an opportunity for me to engage in coursework and research, for one term before entering in a degree program. I also contribute with WIT as a marketing assistant. The WTO and U.S. Trade Law and Policy was my first academic experience abroad.
This summer you participated in AUWCL’s WTO & U.S. Trade Policy summer program. Were there any particular aspects or lectures in the program that you found most beneficial?
Athayde: The program covers a great variety of hot topics in international trade law. It is beneficial not only for those who are just beginning to learn about international law, but also for experienced practitioners. The panelists covered an extensive list of topics that allowed me to gain more information on topics ranging from climate change, COVID-19 and vaccines, trade remedies, and more.
Guero: Every lecture was unique and quite interesting for me and a huge learning opportunity. I took notes of every single presentation and watched the recordings available more times, in order to supplement my notes and to research items mentioned that I had no knowledge about. I loved the structure of the program, formed by a lecture and then a panel. The canvas platform was also very easy to use and the pre-recorded and the availability of the recordings of the live sessions was very useful.
The lectures about the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism clarified many doubts I had. The lecture regarding COVID 19, Vaccines, and Trade contributed a lot, because considering that I wrote an article about the Impacts of COVID-19 on the international Trade and the Measures adopted by the Brazilian Government and I had to present my thesis, the lecture helped to prepare myself for an eventual debate in the launch event of the International Trade Magazine, that published my article.
Which lectures or speakers did you find most enjoyable?
Athahyde:
- Victor do Prado, who discussed upcoming WTO challenges and opportunities.
- Renata Amaral, a world-renowned trade expert who gave her perspective on gender and trade, and how to advance the female perspective.
- Desiree LeClercq, who covered Trade and Labor
- Simon Evenett, who gave a timely lecture on how the global value chain prioritized the COVID-19 in record time.
Guero: I loved María Pereyra, because she is very didactic. Victor do Prado, Jennifer Hillman, Alejandro Jara, Devin McDaniels, Josh Meltzer, Aluisio de Lima-Campos, Alexandre Parola contributed with huge knowledge to the discussions. I cannnot forget to congratulate the co-directors of the summer program, Padideh Ala’i and Renata Amaral that are also great experts and professors.
If you were to participate in another trade certificate course, what other sessions or topics would you like to see covered?
Guero: I am very interested in the EU Emissions Trading System and the impacts of this measure in developing countries.