From July 2 to 4, 2025, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chairs Programme (WCP) Annual Conference was held at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Representing our university, Professor Xinquan Tu—Dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies and WTO Chairholder in China (Beijing)—attended the event in person, along with Mr. Gao Jian, WCP Coordinator, and Ms. Zeng Rui, a doctoral student jointly trained at the University of Bern in Switzerland under the sponsorship of the China Scholarship Council’s Innovation Program, attended the conference in person on behalf of our university’s Chair.

During the conference, Professor Tu actively participated in several key sessions, demonstrating the university’s strong academic foundation and growing international influence in WTO research and international trade policy. On July 2, he spoke as a panelist in the session "Looking Towards The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14)", sharing insights on the challenges and prospects of the multilateral trading system. His views were well received by experts and WTO officials. On July 3, he contributed as a discussant in the session "WTO Disciplines on Fisheries Subsidies and the Future of Global Marine Resources" and later delivered another speech in the panel on "Trade Finance", where he offered perspectives on the development of global trade finance systems.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gao Jian actively engaged in in-depth exchanges with WCP representatives, WTO officials, and experts from various countries. Discussions focused on cooperation mechanisms under the Chairs Programme, pressing trade and economic research topics, and talent development models. These interactions further strengthened our university’s academic and policy-level connections with the global community.

With the theme "Fostering Global Trade Cooperation and Rule-Making", this year’s conference centered on key topics such as the preparation for MC14, digital trade capacity building, and support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Professor Tu’s multiple interventions and deep involvement not only highlighted our university’s academic expertise and leadership in global trade governance but also contributed valuable perspectives from the Chinese academic community to the ongoing reform of the multilateral trading system. As a senior member of the WCP, Professor Tu’s participation played an active role in promoting academic exchange and advancing international economic and trade cooperation.

During the WTO Chairs Programme Annual Conference, Professor Tu Xinquan and his delegation visited Mark Nache Woji, a Nigerian doctoral student from our university currently interning at the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation. They were warmly received by WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Deputy Director-General Mr. Zhang Xiangchen. The delegation also visited Minister Li Yihong of the Chinese Permanent Mission to Geneva, as well as long-time friends working in various WTO departments, including Market Access, Development, Agriculture, and Environment. These visits further enhanced our university’s research and policy advisory capacity in WTO-related fields, the cultivation of international talent, and its influence both at home and abroad as a member of the WTO Chairs Programme.