WTO Chairs Programme activities launched in Qatar

On 23 November 2025, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar) formally launched academic activities under the WTO Chairs Programme, a network of academic institutions seeking to foster research and teaching on trade issues. The Chair in Qatar was added to the Programme earlier this year, along with four universities from the Dominican Republic, Nigeria, Togo, and Vanuatu, helping to increase the participation of under-represented regions. The total number of Chairs in the Programme now amounts to 39.

The team at Hamad Bin Khalifa University is led by Dr Georgios Dimitropoulos, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, College of Law.

Launched in 2010, the WTO Chairs Programme supports trade-related research, curriculum development and outreach activities within academic institutions in developing and least-developed WTO members and observers. The programme's objective is to promote a better understanding of issues related to the multilateral trading system among academics, policymakers and other stakeholders. The Programme is funded by France, Austria and the Republic of Korea.

The Chair in Qatar was launched under the theme "Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital and Industrial Economy". Participants were welcomed by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed.

In his opening remarks, Minister Al-Sayed stressed that the WTO Chair in Qatar will be a catalyst for promoting collaborative research between policymakers and academia, and for contributing to transforming the business ecosystem in Qatar. He also noted how launching these new activities is timely given the recent developments in world trade and the importance of preserving the multilateral trading system.

Congratulating Hamad Bin Khalifa University, WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said in his opening remarks: "Joining the WTO Chairs Programme opens the university to a network of trade experts and fellow academics in developing economies who are active in building and disseminating best practices in research, curriculum development and outreach. Ahead lies a unique opportunity for a strong partnership between the team at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and the Chairs network."

The Permanent Representative of France to the WTO, Ambassador Emmanuelle Ivanov-Durand, welcomed the new Chair. "I trust that this Chair will be a centre of scientific excellence in addition to a catalyst for regional ideas and initiatives, so as to serve the cause of an open, fair and sustainable international trading system."

Reiterating her country's support for the Programme, Ambassador Sung-yo Choi, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, said: "By fostering rigorous research, capacity-building and open dialogue, the Chairs Programme helps to equip countries with the capacity to analyze the complexities of the multilateral trading system and capitalize on emerging opportunities to strengthen it. This is why Korea has been a steadfast supporter of this initiative."

The launch featured two panel discussions bringing together experts from governments, academia and the private sector. The first panel featured a discussion on "International Trade Law and the Digital Economy - The Role of Middle Powers", and the second was titled "New Industrial Policies and Foreign Subsidies Regulation - A New Frontier for International and Regional Economic Law?". A lunchtime conversation with Qatar's Investment and Trade Court took place as part of the event.