Two of Raffles International Institute Lecturers namely Mr. Jimmy Ello Esplanada and Mr. Felipe Polina were invited by Mr. Dorjpalam Dukhumbayar, the Counselor for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to attend the course on "Trade Policy and Free Trade Agreements," last July 4-8, 2011. The course was hosted by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia. Nomin D, one of RII students also attended the training.

The keynote speakers were Professor Craig VanGrasstek and Professor Robert Zachary Lawrence of Harvard University, USA.  The course was attended by 50 participants from government, private, and education sectors.  The topics are as follows: trading system, economics of protection, the political economy of trade policy, tariff and taxes, fair trade and safeguards, trade in services, dispute settlement in the WTO, agriculture, regionalism and discrimination, preferential trade agreements, developing countries in the trading system, the future of FTA.  The purpose of course is to improve the knowledge and skills of civil servants and researchers.  The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade Damdin Tsogtbaatar graced the affair.

Contributed by: Jimmy Esplanada, MBA
Business Lecturer