Dr. Adelia Jansen van Rensburg, WTO–WCP Chair at NWU, Strengthens Collaboration with International Trade Law Specialists at NWU’s Faculty of Law

In 2025, Dr. Adelia Jansen van Rensburg, WTO–WCP Chair at the North-West University, deepened cooperation between the School of Economic Sciences and the International Trade Law specialists in NWU’s Faculty of Law. This growing partnership reflects the Chair’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary engagement that advances both research and policy impact.
Dr. Jeanette Visagie, a leading academic within the Faculty of Law, has been instrumental in driving this collaboration process forward. The partnership began with joint research on Dispute Settlement under the AfCFTA, currently being undertaken by Dr. Jansen van Rensburg and Dr. Visagie’s Master’s student in International Trade—Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, South Africa’s former Ambassador to the WTO and current Deputy Director-General of Trade in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. Ambassador Mlumbi-Peter joined the NWU’s Master’s in International Trade programme in 2025, with her dissertation focused on exploring reforms to the WTO dispute settlement system to better serve developing countries, particularly in Africa.
Looking ahead, the WTO–WCP Chair is committed to expanding collaboration with the Faculty of Law, which offers a structured LLM in International Trade Law. Discussions are already underway for the International Trade Law team to participate in the Research–Policy Partnership Dialogue between NWU and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition in 2026.
This strengthened academic partnership underscores the Chair’s outreach mandate—building bridges across disciplines and fostering meaningful engagement that supports South Africa and Africa’s broader trade agenda.