Abstract

Since the US Presidential Election in 2016, trade liberalization and globalization have been major political and economic issues in the world. The project aims to provide a simulated environment for students, as trade representatives of a country, to participate in international trade negotiations. After the participation in the Model WTO, students are expected to be able to consider issues from different perspectives and think globally, and demonstrate an awareness of cross boundary issues in international trade.

To be successful trade representatives in negotiation, students are required to have thorough understanding on different trade-related issues, which may include the perspectives of economics, politics, diplomacy, national security and social fairness (an active learning process). As the government officials/ trade representations of a country, students will consider interests of different stakeholders in the country, including private companies, workers, green groups and other NGOs. In the process, with the knowledge learnt in economics and other disciplines, they also need to have innovative ideas to propose some solutions to balance the interest among stakeholders and gain consensus among them (a “learning-by-doing” process). Through the Model WTO as a negotiation platform, students will also be required to consider those issues from other countries’ viewpoint. Thus it will also encourage students to consider innovative and creative ideas to solve global issues.