Thomas Cottier was Professor of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern. He studied at the University of Bern, did his LL.M at the University of Michigan, and returned to Bern to complete his PhD.

Towards the second half of the Uruguay Round negotiations, he joined the Swiss Federal Intellectual Property Office. Around the completion of the Geneva-trade talks in 1994, he was then appointed full professor at the University of Bern and shortly after created the WTI with support of three universities (Bern, Fribourg and Neuchatel), generous donations from foundations and friends, as well as support from the Bernese economic development agency.

This scholarship aims to support a talented and highly motivated student in her/his stay at the World Trade Institute, University of Bern. The scholarship will be used to principally pay the living costs in Bern and cover the tuition fee for enrolling in one of the WTI’s flagship programs: either the classical Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) or the Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Trade and Investment Laws (TRAIL+). The objective is to raise CHF 30’000.- every year.

Peter Van den Bossche is a former Member and Chair of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization and former Professor at Maastricht University. Peter joined the World Trade Institute in 2016 and was Director of Studies until summer 2024. He holds an LL.M. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a PhD in law from the European University Institute, Florence.

After some years in academia, he joined the nascent WTO as a Counsellor to the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization, Geneva. He also served as Acting Director of the Appellate Body Secretariat after which he returned to academia again. In 2009, he began his journey as Appelate Body Member of the WTO for 10 years.

This scholarship aims to support a talented and highly motivated student who intends to pursue a career in an international organization. In concrete terms, the scholarship will assist WTI students in securing an internship in an international organization and support the student in terms of living expenses as many of the internships are still today not adequately renumerated. The objective is to raise CHF 6’000.- every year and support up to 2 students a year for 2-3 months.